March 13th 2024.
The recent primaries in Georgia, Mississippi, and Washington have resulted in President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump officially becoming the nominees for the 2024 presidential election. This outcome was already evident long before their official designation, as the general election had already taken center stage.
One of the main concerns leading up to the November 5th election is whether President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will receive unwavering support from Black voters. This demographic is crucial for the Democratic incumbents to secure their re-election, and the Biden-Harris campaign is well aware of the need for the same level of enthusiasm and engagement from Black voters that helped them win in 2020.
To solidify their support from the Black electorate, the campaign team invited BLACK ENTERPRISE and other Black-owned media outlets to their headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware. Top officials met with these media representatives to discuss the administration's track record with Black voters and strategies to fully mobilize them.
These efforts are crucial on a national scale, especially in key battleground states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia. During the previous election, the incumbent president received reports of declining engagement from Black voters in these states.
Jasmine Harris, a former staffer for Sen. Chuck Schumer, who now serves as the director of Black media for the campaign, states, "This campaign is making Black media a priority. From the largest and earliest investments in Black media for a re-election campaign in history to hosting outlets at our headquarters to meet with our leadership team, we understand and value the vital role Black media will play in this election." The campaign plans to spend $30 million on a continuous advertising blitz through Black print, digital, and radio platforms. They will also target the upcoming NCAA "March Madness" tournament and make visits to key battleground states, as reported by CBS News.
During a series of meetings, BE and other media representatives had direct access to campaign leadership, including campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodríguez, principal deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks, communications director Michael Tyler, and campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond. The officials addressed the issue of discontent among large segments of Black voters, with Fulks noting that the lack of overwhelming support was not specific to Biden and Harris but has been a challenge for the Democratic Party for some time. "It's our problem now to deal with in order to get our candidates elected," he says.
The Trump campaign is also making efforts to gain Black voters, appealing to conservatives and using digitally manipulated images of Black supporters photographed with Trump. They have also used messaging that suggests Black voters support Trump because of his mug shot and past encounters with the criminal justice system, tactics that have been deemed "outrageous" and stereotypical.
According to The New York Times, Trump has aggressively targeted Black voters and has seen an increase in support from them in polling, with almost four times the amount of Black voters supporting him now compared to the 6% who voted for him in 2016, based on Pew Research Center data. Despite losing some Black voters in 2020, he still managed to gain their vote, particularly among Black men at 19%, which is higher than his results with Black women.
The Biden administration's accomplishments, from including $5 billion for Black farmers in the coronavirus stimulus package to fighting for student loan debt forgiveness despite challenges from the conservative Supreme Court, will be critical in making the case for their re-election, according to Richmond. "I think he has earned the African American vote due to his actions, deeds, and accomplishments," he says.
The campaign team also understands that the Black electorate cannot be viewed as a monolithic group. They must strategically engage with different segments of Black voters across various platforms, including digital media. Harris adds, "We are laser-focused on reaching Black voters early and often to communicate the ways the president and vice president have delivered for us: historically low Black unemployment, billions invested in HBCUs, billions forgiven in student loan debt, Black child poverty cut in half during their first year in office, and Black small businesses starting up at the fastest rate in 30 years."
As the campaign works to convince a large number of Black voters to participate in early voting and on Election Day, they will also strive to effectively share stories of Black individuals from different backgrounds whose lives have been positively impacted by the policies and actions of the Biden administration. A crucial aspect of their playbook is to establish an unbreakable connection with voters and motivate them to cast their votes over the next eight months.
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