I Was In a Room of Black Men When President Biden Resigned and Endorsed Kamala Harris. Here Was Their Response

I write this not as a representative of Black men but as an observer. Black men, like Black people, are not a monolithic group, yet there is a measurable trend suggesting some Black men were drifting toward Donald Trump. A recent poll found that 6% of Black women and 16% of Black men in Pennsylvania support the former president. I had my own theories as to the reasons. I happened to be listening in on a live chat on X of a group of Black men debating the election. I hit the sweet spot of disaffected Black men, looking to impact this election and politics in general. In the middle of the chat, news broke that Joe Biden was dropping his reelection bid.

The original focus of the chat was how to get around gatekeepers, particularly in the Democratic Party. Some participants have been involved with what they called “the movement” for some years, attempting to raise the recognition and involvement of Black men. Different speakers brought up a few main themes:

1. Disillusionment with the Democratic Party that hasn’t done enough for Black people, men in particular.
2. Frustration about being told to “shut up and vote,” as if their concerns weren’t valid.
3. The feeling that Democrats take the Black vote for granted, and when we delivered, they didn’t.

A fourth underlying theme was expressed in multiple ways, but it always starts, “Nothing against the sisters, but…” Some of the speakers felt that Black men were losing out to Black women in political power. A small percentage of the speakers resented that Black women were being catered to while Black men were not. It seems Biden's commitment to appoint a Black woman to the Supreme Court angered more than white people. Democrats haven’t appointed a Black male since Lyndon Johnson appointed Thurgood Marshall.

Related: Who Should Be Kamala Harris' VP Pick?

When the news broke about Biden taking himself out of the 2024 race, speculation began about what would happen next. Biden’s initial statement didn’t include an endorsement for Kamala Harris. Someone on the chat “heard” that Hillary Clinton put her name in the pot, which angered some participants, some promising not to vote at all if Hillary leapfrogged the sitting vice president. There was no sense, however, of an outpouring of support for Kamala. Nothing had changed in the views of many.

The suggestion that a significant percentage of Black men might turn to the Republican Party, despite its recent racist history, is not without precedent. Black voters once were staunch Republicans before making a wholesale transition to the Democratic Party. Most people view that transition as happening during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. But well before that, Franklin D. Roosevelt captured enough of the Black vote to sway the 1932 election. It was the combination of his New Deal, his willingness to be seen and photographed with Black people, and his unofficial advisors, the “Black Cabinet.” Roosevelt had a sorry record on civil rights, but he made an effort to court Black voters while Republicans took their vote for granted. Insincere or not, Donald Trump is making an effort to woo Black male voters.

Another topic raised repeatedly was an ad presumably targeting Black males called “Get Your Booty to the Polls,” featuring seven Atlanta area strippers. People seemed to feel it was a lame attempt by white Democrats to attract Black men, though it was two Black women who put it out to raise awareness about voting. The men discussing it were genuinely insulted, which I understand.

Kamala Harris becoming the instant frontrunner didn’t seem to appease the group. Criticisms arose about her history as a prosecutor, and one man even questioned, “Is she even Black?” He was immediately shut down. The point is that there is a percentage of Black men, however small, who are willing to use their vote in protest because they are dissatisfied with their treatment. The answer will not be telling them to shut up and vote.

It was notable that, except for one individual, no one had anything positive to say about Donald Trump. That same man encouraged others to join together and grow legal marijuana, so there’s that. These are persuadable voters who might make a difference.

The Democratic Party is a coalition of multiple groups. Black men are one of them. It won’t be enough to assume they will vote for Kamala Harris because she’s considered Black. They should be treated like any other constituency that needs to be asked for their vote and given a reason.

This post originally appeared on Medium and is edited and republished with author's permission. Read more of William Spivey's work on Medium. And if you dig his words, buy the man a coffee.