This week, Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign organized a spate of events aimed at Black men in Wisconsin, to increase attendance and prevent defections among a critical vote demographic.
Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes held a rally at a large Black church in Milwaukee on Friday, before the campaign began canvassing, providing free haircuts at barbershops, and hosting a happy hour for young professionals, culminating in a gospel brunch Sunday.
The events demonstrate how Democrats are increasingly targeting Black men, hoping to counter former President Donald Trump’s efforts to woo them with machismo and social conservatism, as well as to ensure that apathy caused by years of inflation and low approval for President Joe Biden does not lead to low turnout.
These efforts are not restricted to Wisconsin. Since announcing her presidential candidacy, the Harris-Walz campaign has staged over 15 events in Michigan, a key state in the 2024 election. The events included barbershop visits and brunches in cities like Detroit and Flint.
The campaign held ten organizing events in Black barbershops throughout Georgia, where Trump received 11% of the Black vote in 2020. It has also hosted events in Virginia and Pennsylvania, including a barbershop debate with local political figures.
Actor Wendell Pierce, Ald. Sharlene Moore, Gaulien “Gee” Smith, proprietor of Gee’s Barbershop, and community member Kwabena Nixon moderate a panel at a Milwaukee barbershop.
“From the moment Vice President Harris launched her campaign, we have hit the ground running to earn every single vote, including from Black men who we know will play a pivotal role in this election,” Trey Baker, a senior advisor for the Harris-Walz team, told HuffPost.
“Whether it’s having campaign officials join the #WinWithBlackMen call which raised over seven figures for the Harris-Walz ticket all while working to combat disinformation being targeted at Black men, to hosting genuine engagement events across battleground states, we are working day in and day out to earn Black men’s vote,” continued the politician.
Black people, particularly Black men, have consistently supported the Democratic Party for many years. However, many Black males have long believed that their voices and demands were not heard or handled. Republicans have attempted to entice this critical constituency away with voter outreach initiatives of their own.
Former President Donald Trump’s frequent use of stereotypes about Black people undermines these attempts. In February, Trump claimed that Black Americans support him because they can connect to the “discrimination” he has experienced in the legal system.
A recent Washington Post-Ipsos poll indicated that Harris has high support among Black men, but the race remains extremely close in the states she needs to win. Baker, who led similar Black voter engagement events for Biden during the 2020 race, is trying to guarantee that the Harris-Walz campaign engages Black men.
“We will not take it for granted or offensively patronize the community like Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans continue to,” according to him.