In their latest effort to court a crucial group of voters, the two leading Democrats will roll out an initiative called Black Voters for Biden-Harris at a rally in Philadelphia.
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President Biden spoke this month to graduates at Morehouse College, a historically Black men’s institution in Atlanta.
President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are traveling to Philadelphia on Wednesday to announce the rollout of a new coalition aimed at bolstering support from Black voters, who are vital to their re-election but have broadcast frustration with the president in a series of polls.
The president and vice president will unveil the effort, Black Voters for Biden-Harris, during a rally at Girard College, a predominantly Black college preparatory school in Philadelphia. They will be joined by several prominent Black Democrats, including Lt. Gov. Austin Davis of Pennsylvania, Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland and Mayor Cherelle Parker of Philadelphia.
After the rally, dozens of Black leaders will embark on a nationwide “week of action” to mobilize Black voters in battleground states, according to the Biden campaign. The campaign also says it plans to team up with national groups to hold events, recruit surrogates and speak directly to Black communities through November.
The event is only the latest attempt by the Biden campaign to win back support from Black voters, who have long been known as the “backbone” of the Democratic Party.
This month, Mr. Biden delivered the commencement address at Morehouse College, a historically Black men’s college in Atlanta, and then flew to Detroit to speak at the largest N.A.A.C.P. dinner in the nation. Last week, Ms. Harris spoke in Philadelphia at a convention of the Service Employees International Union, one of the country’s most diverse labor unions
The Biden campaign also released a television ad last week that was geared toward Black voters in battleground states and that accused former President Donald J. Trump of having “stood with violent white supremacists.”
But even in Philadelphia — a city that Mr. Biden visits more than any other, to the consternation of some Pennsylvania Democrats — Black voters have expressed skepticism of the president. In recent interviews with The New York Times, many said that they were worried about the cost of living and immigration and that they thought Mr. Biden was doing more to address foreign wars than domestic problems.
Mr. Trump, who has often relied on stereotypes to appeal to Black voters, tried to capitalize off their disaffection during a rally in the Bronx last Thursday, when he appeared with the rappers Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow, who have been charged with violent gang-related crimes. Mr. Biden’s campaign is aiming to counter Black voters’ dissatisfaction and blunt any momentum Republicans hope to garner as a result of it.
In a statement, Quentin Fulks, the president’s principal deputy campaign manager, described the efforts as “the next phase of our campaign’s ongoing historic investments in outreach” to Black voters.
“While we are busy putting in the work to earn Black America’s support, Donald Trump continues to show just how ignorant he is,” he said. “Hosting janky rap concerts to hide the fact that he lacks the resources and competence to genuinely engage our community.”
Maya King is a politics reporter covering the Southeast, based in Atlanta. She covers campaigns, elections and movements in the American South, as well as national trends relating to Black voters and young people. More about Maya King
Nicholas Nehamas is a Times political reporter covering the re-election campaign of President Biden. More about Nicholas Nehamas
See more on: 2024 Elections, Democratic Party, President Joe Biden, Kamala Harris
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Source: nytimes.com
