The Art of Appealing to the Masses
Vice President Kamala Harris's “Blackness” has come into question many times—and not just by Black people

Some of the most controversial words in recent elections came from President Joe Biden during his 2020 presidential run: “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t Black,” Despite the controversy, Black people did attend the polls come election time. Many admitted he was the lesser of two evils and disliked Former President Donald Trump more. In his former role as the Vice President to the first African American president, Barack Obama, he had a leg up in getting Black voters to elect him. Having the first Black female Vice President, Kamala Harris, run alongside him was an immediate win for Biden. Now, Vice President Kamala Harris is in the running and she’s betting on those Black votes.
Black people make up 13% of U.S. voters and 95% voted for Obama in 2008 and 93% for his reelection in 2012. The prospect of a Black man being president put a lot of hope in Black Americans. It’s been 70 years since the end of segregation and Black Americans are still experiencing “Firsts.” There are so many spaces that Black people are still trying to integrate into so when one finally breaks down that barrier it ripples through generations. That kind of shared history among Black people helps give candidates like Obama and Harris an edge.
Her “Blackness” has come into question many times and not just by Black people. Trump said, “She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black. So I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?” A common belief is that she is using her “Blackness” to appeal to African Americans. Harris has often spoken about her time at Howard University, and was even the commencement speaker at their graduation in 2017.
She also often raves about her sorority’s historic Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) chapter, even going as far as inviting them to the Whitehouse. Harris has shone a bright light on HBCUs and gained the approval of her sisters across the country. “Voters can feel that candidates only pander to them during election times and not year-round. In short, Black people influence culture and media, and any candidate who negatively sways a majority of Black voters is going to have a hard time winning any election,” said Gabrielle Jones, a former volunteer on two major campaigns in Georgia, an important swing state in the election. “The Black community has a connection that you can learn about and fail to achieve if it’s not something you’ve truly lived in. An outsider looking in who’s not a part of that community would not be able to understand that. That’s not their culture.”
Groups who see this as pandering may not have an idea how HBCU culture works in society. HBCUs are very active during election cycles and they especially look to uplift people of color. “I believe it’s hard to pander to a group you’re a part of, especially when the group is as strong as HBCU culture,” said Jones.
The support among Black voters is not unanimous, however. While Black women are mostly on board, Black men seem to be very wary. Her time as a prosecutor has come into question as well with many feeling she aided in the mass incarceration of Black men. This along with many feeling like the Biden/Harris campaign has not done enough for Black people has caused many to rethink about voting at all this election. Black men’s wariness about electing a former prosecutor is not without cause. Picking the lesser of two evils is not an option for Black men this year. They feel like they have no skin in this election and the constant injustice they face has them stepping down. The fight for the Black male vote is strong this year but candidates are finding it hard to break through. Despite all of that, the Black vote is the most sought after every single election. It holds so much power that should go not to waste.
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