5 Key Reasons Why Black Voters Did Not Back Kamala Harris in the Elections
Harris Lost Major Support of Black Voters
Vice President Kamala Harris's historic candidacy, endorsed by President Joe Biden, garnered a lot of support from Black women. However, her campaign faced challenges in winning over Black men. Her opponent Donald Trump made modest but impactful gains among Black voters, particularly younger Black men. In Georgia, Trump secured 25% of their votes, an improvement from previous elections. In Wisconsin, his support more than doubled, and nationally, he nearly doubled his backing among Black men under 45, as compared to 2020. This can be attributed to several underlying issues.
Broken Promises by Democrats
Black voter DaSean Gallishaw expressed unhappiness over unfulfilled promises by Democrats. He stated, “It’s been a very long time since the Democrats ever really kept their promises to what they’re going to do for the minority communities.” Harris' campaign largely relied on anti-Trump rhetoric to secure a win and neglected to address the systemic issues faced by minorities, which sealed their fate, as reported by The Philadelphia Tribune.
Political Malpractice
Alvin Tillery, a political science professor at Northwestern University and founder of the super PAC Alliance For Black Equity, criticized Harris’ campaign for its ineffective approach to engaging Black men. He said, “Even after all the talk about how critical it was to get their vote, it was political malpractice.” Harris launched an Opportunity Agenda for Black Men, detailing plans to support the pivotal voting bloc. While that boosted her national polling among Black men by 10 points, Tillery noted that it was one of the campaign’s few initiatives directly addressing Black men.
Removed From Reality
Rev. Derrick Harkins pointed to Trump’s persona. He explained, “Trump with this bogus machismo has been effective amongst the young men, Black, White, Hispanic.” Additionally, his messaging on economic opportunities and personal empowerment struck a chord with younger Black men, outpacing Harris’ focus on social equity issues that failed to bridge the growing divide. For many, Harris’ priorities felt disconnected from the realities of everyday struggles.
Race and Gender
Harris supporters claimed that race and gender played significant roles in voter decisions. Shavon Arline-Bradley of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) noted that Harris’ candidacy struggled against “the wall of White nationalism and racism and classism and sexism.” According to the New York Post, former Obama adviser David Axelrod emphasized that dismissing the impact of 'racial bias' or 'sexism' on the outcome would be a mistake. Additionally, Christian Nunes of NOW noted how race and gender remain a recurring barrier for women in leadership. She stressed, “It was people’s inability to trust women and stand up for women—particularly a Black woman."
Past Disappointments
Herman Muhammad, a 53-year-old entrepreneur from Denver, was eager to vote for a Black president with a background as a community organizer. However, he found the Obama administration deeply disappointing. He opined that Barack Obama’s two terms ultimately left little impact on his life, which influenced his decision in the 2024 elections. "I believe that Kamala Harris would do absolutely nothing for Black people," he told CPR News.
