Kamala Harris turns to her faith in outreach to Black voters

Atlanta – Reva Harvey didn't cognize Vice President Kamala Harris would beryllium coming to her religion connected Sunday. But pinch almost two weeks near until Nov. 5, she thought it was "essential" for her to do so. 

Harvey, a 53-year-old Black female whose day was 1 time earlier Harris', said nan vice president's sojourn to nan New Birth Baptist Church successful Stonecrest, Georgia, could thief her find older Black voters and springiness them "the accusation that they need."

"You request to deed each corner, move each song, conscionable to beryllium safe," Harvey said astatine Harris' Saturday rally successful Atlanta.

Harris, a Baptist, capped disconnected a week of heightened outreach to Black voters pinch visits past Sunday to 2 churches successful nan Atlanta area. Her attraction underscores nan value for her successful activating and persuading Black voters, nan halfway of her party's electorate, by going to a stronghold wrong nan community. 

Democratic statesmanlike nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, hugs an attendee astatine a religion work earlier speaking astatine New Birth Baptist Church successful Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. Jacquelyn Martin / AP

At a CNN municipality hall connected Wednesday night, Harris highlighted her faith, saying she prays "every day, sometimes doubly a day." 

"I was raised to judge successful a loving God, to judge that your religion is simply a verb," Harris said. "You know, you unrecorded your faith. And that, that nan measurement that 1 should do that is that your activity and your life's activity should beryllium to deliberation astir really you tin service successful a way, uplifting different people. "

She said 1 of nan first telephone calls she made aft President Biden told her was dropping out of nan statesmanlike title was to her pastor. She said she "needed that belief benignant of connection." 

Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, during an quality astatine a Jonesboro, Georgia, religion pinch Harris, threw acold h2o connected nan thought Trump was siphoning disconnected Black antheral support distant from Harris, and sewage nan men successful nan crowd to guidelines up and chant "real men vote."

"This talk astir Black men voting for nan other… you cognize what I'm talking about. I don't judge it," said Warnock, who added "the existent threat is not Trump, but not showing up."

In caller weekends, Harris has attended aggregate Black religion services successful confederate battleground states. 

At nan New Birth Baptist Church, Harris referenced nan Gospel of Luke successful reciting nan "Parable of nan Good Samaritan" and saying that first responders and those helping betterment efforts from Hurricane Helene and Milton correspond "the bully Samaritans stepping among us." 

Later, astatine a "Souls to nan Polls" arena astatine nan Divine Faith Ministries successful Jonesboro, Georgia, Harris was joined by euphony fable Stevie Wonder and Warnock, a elder pastor astatine Ebenezer Baptist Church. 

"This is an day astir religion and action," Harris told nan crowd, referencing nan "Souls to nan Polls" month-long mobilization of Black voters that launched past Sunday. 

Democratic statesmanlike nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and bishop Donald E. Battle, right, look connected arsenic Stevie Wonder speaks during a religion work and early ballot arena astatine Divine Faith Ministries International, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, successful Jonesboro, Ga. Jacquelyn Martin / AP

The run has a National Advisory Board of Black Faith Leaders starring this effort done surrogate appearances successful battleground states, including Harris' ain pastor, Reverend Amos C. Brown from San Francisco.

"It takes a existent man to support a woman, who are not intimidated by an knowledgeable woman," said Jamal Bryant, nan elder pastor astatine nan New Birth Baptist Church, arsenic Harris sat successful nan congregation. 

Black antheral elector outreach 

Recent CBS News polling of nan battleground states shows Harris' support pinch Black voters is adjacent to levels President Joe Biden saw successful a 2020 exit poll. But a higher number of Black men (19%) said they are supporting erstwhile President Donald Trump, compared to Black women (7%). 

Former President Barack Obama, who made history arsenic nan first Black president and has been connected nan way for Harris successful caller weeks, utilized a sobering reside to reside Black men successful Pennsylvania earlier this month. 

"You're coming up pinch each kinds of reasons and excuses," Obama said. "Part of it makes maine deliberation that, well, you conscionable aren't emotion nan thought of having a female arsenic president."

Recent weeks saw a heightened attraction from nan Harris run to target Black men. Last Monday, Harris released a caller argumentation scheme that was a nonstop entreaty to Black antheral voters. It included a National Health Equity Initiative to attraction connected illnesses disproportionately impacting Black men, nan legalization of marijuana and creating opportunities for Black Americans successful nan field, and providing up to 1 cardinal forgivable loans up to $20,000 for Black entrepreneurs. 

When asked to comparison nan enthusiasm down Harris' run and Obama's 2008 run, Harvey said while location is excitement and power for Harris, "it's not arsenic hype" arsenic she wants it to be, successful portion because immoderate voters are reluctant connected Harris because of her gender. 

In a MSNBC question and reply pinch Rev. Al Sharpton, Harris pointed to her Atlanta rally of complete 10,000 arsenic grounds of her support from Black men, but said, "I americium very clear I must gain nan ballot of everyone, sloppy of their title aliases gender."

"What tin beryllium frustrating sometimes is to person journalists inquire maine this question, arsenic though 1 should presume that I would conscionable beryllium capable to return for granted nan ballot of Black men. I deliberation that's really an uninformed perspective, because why would Black men beryllium immoderate different than immoderate different demographic of voter? They expect that you gain their vote," she said.

Harris' moving mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, touted nan campaign's projected policies meant to thief nan mediate people erstwhile asked what his connection is to Black men successful Philadelphia. 

"I deliberation we request to make judge we're getting retired to them. We perceive what they're saying. We understand that their interest pinch issues, whether it's climate, aliases wellness care, aliases reproductive rights, men attraction astir that too," Walz told Philadelphia's 6ABC.

The Harris run has agelong contended that Black and Latino voters person remained arsenic "persuadable" elector targets passim nan full race, citing early finance successful Black-specific advertising.

An attendee holds a run instrumentality earlier Democratic statesmanlike nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak during a religion work and early ballot arena astatine Divine Faith Ministries International, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, successful Jonesboro, Ga. Jacquelyn Martin / AP

Harris has besides done respective interviews this period pinch Black antheral journalists connected platforms pinch predominantly Black audiences successful caller days specified arsenic a Detroit power municipality hallway pinch "The Breakfast Club" and big Charlamagne tha God, pinch "The Shade Room" and journalist Roland Martin's "Black Star Network."

Black Democratic operatives opportunity these appearances whitethorn beryllium arsenic effective, if not more, successful convincing undecided Black voters than circumstantial argumentation plans.

"It is adjuvant to beryllium successful nan spaces and to beryllium pinch validators that are not of authorities aliases of nan institutions," said Democratic strategist Joel Payne, who added that galore young Black antheral voters who are undecided whitethorn person an already existing distrust pinch government. "You gotta flood nan zone, and I deliberation that's what they're trying to do."

Payne viewed nan Harris campaign's targeting of Black voters arsenic nickname they request to support precocious turnout successful cities pinch precocious Black populations, specified arsenic Detroit, Milwaukee and Philadelphia, arsenic good arsenic pinch Black agrarian voters successful Georgia and North Carolina. 

"They would not beryllium doing that 3 weeks earlier Election Day if they didn't consciousness for illustration they needed to," he added.

Quentin James, nan president of nan "Collective PAC" which boosts Black candidates, praised Harris' argumentation proposals and based on it's not "too small excessively late" for Harris to beryllium looking to seduce Black voters. 

"The mobility is like, 'What will group person her do? Act arsenic if nan ballot is not important, and conscionable benignant of beryllium backmost and cruise? No, she's retired working, and that's not a motion that things are bad," James said. 

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