Source: SAUL LOEB / Getty
In less than two months, millions of Americans will cast their ballots in the 2024 general election, and the repercussions could be swift – and lasting – if Black men sit this one out.
An issue complicating voter outreach among Black men – and especially Black men without some level of college education – is reaching them with a message that resonates beyond their own lived experiences.
In a moment that still feels surreal, Oprah Winfrey asked me point-blank during Thursday night’s “United for America” livestream how I would respond to the Black man who’s supporting former President Donald Trump’s reelection bid “because (Trump) sent me that check.”
With Vice President Kamala Harris sitting mere feet from my seat at the Detroit venue, I explained to the nearly 300,000 people participating in the virtual event what the Democratic nominee already knows: Black men have never fallen neatly into political silos, and you have to approach their engagement with a clear understanding of their inherent mistrust of what people say to get their votes and how those words square with their deeds.
Actions outweigh promises.
It’s easy to see how a pandemic-era stimulus check in hand is worth more than a stump speech at a campaign rally. It’s logical to equate assistance with concern for the recipient’s well-being.
As I pointed out in my response, though, those stimulus checks were not written from some deep benevolence fund our former president graciously disbursed to ease suffering. The American people paid for those checks, and all Donald Trump did was sign them in his official capacity as president.
Our real challenge as we enter the homestretch of arguably the most vitriolic election cycle in American politics lies in helping Black men like Oprah’s example develop a little faith that a more equitable, more representative administration has more planned for their short and long-term benefit than bare-minimum stop-gap measures during a time of national crisis.
Source: SAUL LOEB / Getty
I personally choose experience and fortitude over a convicted felon who peddles hate, but I understand those in no rush to gulp “joy” by the gallon because it seems like nothing more than another empty promise. This is why we knock on doors. This is why we staff phone banks and voter registration drives. This is why we start conversations at barbershops, grocery stores, parking lots and church picnics.
Black men distrusting politicians is as American as apple pie, so it’s up to us Black men to bring the facts about what’s at stake and vote accordingly.
All. Of. Us.
Khalil Thompson is a political strategist and executive director of Win With Black Men, a movement dedicated to empowering and uplifting Black men.
