President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are intensifying their efforts to engage Black voters, a crucial component of their winning coalition in the 2020 election that has shown signs of weakening. The duo will kick off a new Black voter outreach initiative during a visit to Pennsylvania, a key battleground state.
Their itinerary includes stops at Girard College, an independent boarding school in Philadelphia with a predominantly Black student body, and a visit to a small business to meet with members of the Black Chamber of Commerce. These visits mark the beginning of an extensive summerlong campaign, described as an eight-figure effort, to connect with Black student organizations, community groups, and faith centers.
Quentin Fulks, Biden's principal deputy campaign manager, expressed the campaign's commitment to earning the support of Black voters who played a pivotal role in sending Biden and Harris to the White House in 2020 and are crucial for their potential reelection in 2024.
Biden's approval rating among Black adults has declined from 94% at the start of his term to 55%, according to a recent poll. Factors contributing to this decline include economic challenges, such as high inflation rates, and concerns over Biden's handling of international conflicts like the Israel-Hamas war.
Engaging Black voters is seen as essential for Biden's prospects in closely contested states like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. While Biden won these states in 2020, the upcoming election poses a tougher challenge.
Former President Donald Trump has been positioning himself as a better choice for Black voters, criticizing Biden's policies on immigration and their impact on minority communities.
The Biden campaign aims to highlight achievements during his term, such as the decrease in Black unemployment rates, the increase in Black household wealth, and efforts to alleviate student loan debt, particularly affecting Black borrowers. Biden also emphasizes his historic appointments of Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black female Supreme Court justice and Kamala Harris as the first Black female vice president.
President Biden's recent engagements with the Black community, including interactions with key figures and events at historically Black colleges, underscore his commitment to addressing the concerns and priorities of Black voters.
