“Black Vote, Black Power,” a collaboration between Keith Boykin and Word In Black
examines the issues, the candidates, and what’s at stake for Black America in the 2024 presidential election.
LONDON — Some Black individuals online are raising questions about Kamala Harris’s Black agenda. What is her Black agenda? And why wasn’t it implemented in the past four years?
If you want to understand Kamala Harris’s Black agenda, take a look at what she has accomplished. As vice president, Harris played a crucial role in passing significant legislative acts such as the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act, providing substantial funding to HBCUs, Pell grants, and need-based assistance, allocating funds to Black farmers, and investing in pollution cleanup in minority communities. She has also doubled the number of Black businesses in America, brought down the Black unemployment and poverty rates to record lows.
The Biden-Harris administration expanded the child tax credit, reduced Black child poverty rates, capped the cost of insulin for seniors, enrolled more people in Obamacare, forgave a significant amount of student loan debt, and created a new Black-related federal holiday. Additionally, they appointed more Black judges and the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. These accomplishments are a testament to their commitment to the Black community.
People need to have realistic expectations about what a president can and cannot do.
When questioning why Harris didn’t accomplish certain goals in the past four years, it’s important to remember that she is the vice president, not the president. Harris’s role is to support and assist the president in governance. The current political climate, with a divided Congress and Republican-appointed judges, restricts the power of the president to implement drastic changes. It’s crucial to understand the limitations of the presidential authority within the U.S. governmental system.
Ultimately, the choice is between supporting a president who has a proven track record of advocating for the Black community, albeit with limitations, or endorsing a candidate whose history is tarnished by anti-Black sentiments. The political landscape requires continuous engagement and participation at all levels to affect meaningful change for the Black community.
Keith Boykin, a New York Times–bestselling author and former CNN commentator, emphasizes the importance of consistent civic engagement for Black empowerment. He resides in Los Angeles.
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