Harris rolls out policy plan for Black men with focus on economic and social opportunity

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, on Monday is releasing a sweeping social and economic plan focused on Black men, that would legalize recreational marijuana and introduce a “regulatory framework for cryptocurrency,” according to a release from the Harris campaign. 

The Opportunity Agenda for Black Men also details plans for a National Health Equity Initiative focused on Black men to address health conditions that disproportionately affect them, such as sickle cell disease, diabetes, and mental health issues.

“This agenda is a further realization of Vice President Harris’ Opportunity Economy,” said Harris campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond, former U.S. Representative from Louisiana. “An economy where people don’t just get by, but get ahead. Where Black men are equipped with the tools to thrive: to buy a home, provide for our families, start a business and build wealth.”

The plan comes ahead of a campaign rally in bellwether Erie on Monday evening, where Harris will appear with U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.).

Harris’ plan to legalize marijuana focuses on creating a new industry and ensuring that “Black men — who have, for years, been overpoliced for marijuana use — are able to access wealth and jobs in this new market.”

The campaign noted that 20% of Black Americans either own or have owned cryptocurrency, so Harris’ plan would be focused on regulation that protects crypto owners and investors.

The agenda calls for forgivable business loans for Black entrepreneurs up to $20,000, for those who want to start a business and entrepreneurs who locate their small business in an underserved community. The loans would be provided through a partnership with the Small Business Administration and local lenders. 

Education, training and mentorship programs would be included in the plan, with a focus on attracting more Black male teachers by investing in programs under the U.S. Department of Education to “collaborate with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs),” according to the release.  Part of that will include “strengthening” the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program in an effort to recruit more Black male teachers.

The plan calls for promoting training opportunities in Black communities, using community organizations such as the National Urban League, to help Black men get training and technical credentials.

Under the health piece of the plan, the National Health Equity Initiative would expand preventative screening programs for prostate and colon cancer; expand the budget of the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities; and fully fund the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Sickle Cell Data Collection Program, building a sickle cell database aimed at improving prevention and treatment for the blood disorder. 

The plan also highlights a previously announced Harris initiative to forgive medical debt, which affects 1 in 4 Black households. 

A New York Times/Siena College poll of Black likely voters released Saturday found Harris retains the majority of support of Black likely voters over former President Donald Trump, the GOP nominee. But that support has waned from President Joe Biden’s share of the Black vote in 2020, the poll found. And while 83% of Black women polled said they supported Harris, only 70% of Black men said the same.

Obama stumps for Harris in Pittsburgh, kicking off battleground state campaign swing

Former President Barack Obama visited Pittsburgh on Thursday to campaign for Harris, a longtime friend and political ally. He made pointed comments during a stop at a campaign field office about what he viewed as a lack of support for Harris among Black men. 

“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, adding that “part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president.”

The Harris campaign plans to take the plan on the road to introduce it to voters, including at Black men “Huddle Up” events with celebrities, influencers and activists at Black-owned sports bars and restaurants in battleground states. An event in Philadelphia is slated for Oct. 20. An organizing call will take place after Harris’ town hall Tuesday in Detroit with Charlamagne tha God, host of the Breakfast Club radio show. The town hall will be broadcast live and streamed across 130 iHeartRadio stations nationwide. 

The campaign will also hold a series of “economic freedom” talks with Black business owners,  ramp up existing community organizing events in battleground states, and run new paid testimonial ads featuring Black men in those states.