Some Black voters who were losing faith in President Joe Biden say they’ve found renewed hope and excitement in Kamala Harris’ candidacy.
In recent months, polls showed Biden losing support among Black voters, with some manifesting more openness to a second Donald Trump presidency. Many cited economic and inflation concerns, as well as what they described as unkept campaign promises as cause for their frustration. Others said they haven’t felt the impacts of Biden’s attempt at student loan forgiveness, farmers said they feel left out of Biden’s equity efforts, and many others said his efforts at police accountability have stalled.
In an April NBC News poll, one-third of Black respondents — a demographic that played a critical role in Biden’s 2020 victory — said the economy hadn’t improved under Biden, and 6 in 10 said they felt their family income couldn’t meet the cost of living. Now, with Biden leaving the race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, Democrats hope she becomes the key to winning back those disillusioned voters.
Harris, who is both Black and South Asian, may be aiming to recover Biden’s lost Black supporters and bolstering the chances of a Democratic victory in November. An NBC News poll in early July, before she was the de facto nominee, showed Harris outpacing Trump among Black voters, slightly more so than Biden.
Jason Amos, 39, of Boston, said he reluctantly voted for Biden in 2020 and, after the president’s lackluster performance at June’s debate, he was among the voters calling for him to leave the race. He said his past support of Biden had less to do with enthusiasm for Biden and more with his disdain for Trump.
“It just became very clear to me that this is not a tenable solution for taking on Trump,” Amos said of Biden’s campaign, adding that he’s glad Biden stepped aside and endorsed Harris. “I felt like this was really the only clear way forward.”
Amos said one of his brothers is currently undecided about who he’ll vote for, and that he “struggled to feel like I would be able to confidently convince him to vote for Biden. But I think I can get him on board with Harris,” he added.
As for Thomishia Booker, a 39-year-old children’s book author, she said she is happy to see a fellow Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority member in the presidential race — especially after souring on Biden. But she said she has her apprehensions about a possible Harris White House.
“It definitely feels like a better choice, but that doesn’t mean it’s a perfect choice,” Booker said.
“I wonder what her thoughts and views and perspectives on Palestine and other issues are. She’s been the right hand to the president, so we need to hear where she is and make sure we’re holding her accountable.”
Biden, 81, announced the end of his presidential re-election campaign on Sunday, just four months before the election, following growing concerns about his health and physical capability. The president immediately endorsed Harris to replace him as the Democratic nominee and party leaders quickly followed suit.
Many of the reactions came in the form of memes. After British pop star Charli XCX appeared to endorse Harris on X, people began editing videos and memes that fused clips of Harris throughout her career with songs from the singer’s “Brat” album. Social media users have also shown their excitement by turning Harris’ now-famous “coconut tree” quote from a speech last year into a running meme.
It’s this connection that younger voters are making through niche memes that Macayla Jones, 24, said excites her about Harris.
“I wasn’t super excited about Biden, and this could be a fresh slate,” the Michigander said. “Since she’s younger than Biden, I think she can relate more to younger generations, as well as older generations.”
“I’ve seen Kamala interact with influencers I follow on social media and being featured on podcasts. I’m not saying you need that to be president, but I think that she maybe has a better grasp of what my generation might want policywise.”
Black-centered groups like the NAACP and BlackPAC have quickly come together to back Harris and the Democratic Party. BlackPAC, which focuses on galvanizing Black working-class voters to the polls, has spent recent months surveying Black voters and looking deeply at their concerns and interests. In a statement, the group urged the public to “unite behind Kamala Harris and move with one voice with a singular mission — preventing Donald Trump from ever reaching the White House again.”
Recent polls have illustrated the erosion in support for Biden from 2020 to this year. April polling had Biden leading Trump 71% to 13% among Black voters, down from the 87% to 12% he won in 2020 exit polls. And just 54% of Black voters said in January 2023 that they were enthusiastic or comfortable with a Biden run for the White House, compared to 74% in February 2020, according to NBC News figures.
Adrianne Shropshire, BlackPAC’s executive director, said the waning support stems from a lack of information, noting that some Black voters simply weren’t aware of all the Biden administration’s accomplishments.
It’s an information gap Harris has a chance to close, Shropshire said.
“Folks are starting to tune in now more to the election overall. Folks are starting to learn more about the accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration,” Shropshire said, adding that Harris is a candidate Black voters are more excited about.”
“People feel like, ‘OK, we have something aspirational.’ There’s something we can hold on to. We know we’re going to vote against Donald Trump, and this is something we can really grab on to.”
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