Former President Barack Obama addressed a touchy subject within the Black community at a campaign stop in Pittsburgh Thursday: Black men are voting at slowly dwindling rates for Democrats.
At an afternoon stop at the Harris campaign office in East Liberty before his speech in Oakland, Obama spoke with a group of 40 supporters in a serious tone about a dip in enthusiasm in the Black community for Vice President Kamala Harris compared to his presidential runs in 2008 and 2012.
“I’m going to go ahead and just say, speak some truths, if you don’t mind, because my understanding, based on reports I’m getting from campaigns and communities, is that we have not yet seen the same kinds of energy and turnout in all quarters of our neighborhoods and communities as we saw when I was running,” Obama said. “Now, I also want to say that that seems to be more pronounced with the brothers.
“So, if you don’t mind, I’m going to speak to y’all and say that when you have a choice, that is this clear … where, on the one hand, you have somebody who grew up like you, knows you, went to college with you, understands the struggles and pain and joy that comes from those experiences … and on the other side, you have someone who has consistently shown disregard, not just for the communities, but for you as a person,” Obama said, referring to Harris and her rival, former President Donald Trump.
Former President Barack Obama has a “tough talk” at the Black voters for Harris event in East Liberty. He addressed that Black men have not been as enthused about Harris as during his first run, and he sought to encourage them to join Harris’ movement pic.twitter.com/gDFZhsdLxC
In Allegheny County, majority-Black precincts voted at slightly lower rates for President Joe Biden in 2020 than for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported this month a similar trend was happening in Philadelphia, as the Democrats’ most solid voter base, Black voters, were starting to move right and support Republicans.
Polling has shown this phenomenon in the Black community is particularly stark among Black men.
Obama spoke for about 15 minutes in East Liberty and addressed this issue head on.
He said Harris is offering policies to address rising housing costs and protect health care, and her record deserves the support of Black men and the entire Black community. He said that the “women in our lives have been getting our backs this entire time,” and it’s time to repay the favor and help elect the first woman, and first Black woman, as president in U.S. history.
“This is excellence on display, and it needs to be rewarded,” Obama said.
The invited crowd of Harris supporters listened intently during the short stop. One man sitting close to Obama said he was not sitting out this election and is backing Harris.
But Obama said that might not be enough. He said people must encourage their friends and family to vote, especially those people that are less engaged.
Obama said the stakes are too high for the Black community to not come through for Harris.
“Ultimately, in Pennsylvania, it might be a handful of votes that determine the difference in this county,” he said. “I didn’t mean to get so serious. You’re lucky Michelle’s not here.”
