In a bold move to engage Black voters, Vice President Kamala Harris released an Opportunity Agenda for Black Men this week. The agenda aims to equip Black men with the resources needed to achieve financial stability and positively impact their communities. It is part of Harris’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that Black men not only “get by” but thrive in various aspects of life, from entrepreneurship to health equity.
“There’s wide-ranging policies that she’s laid out to go after price gouging, to go after building more affordable homes, to go after making sure that we’re lowering rent costs, lowering gasoline prices in this country. We also acknowledge that we have all those things, but we also have to talk specifically about what we are doing to help black men,” Harris-Walz principal deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks told HBCU Buzz.
Opportunity for Black Men Initiatives
The centerpiece of the agenda is the introduction of one million forgivable loans of up to $20,000 for Black entrepreneurs. This initiative seeks to remove barriers that often hinder access to capital, empowering individuals to start and grow businesses in underserved communities. Harris aims to partner with the Small Business Administration and mission-driven lenders to support small business innovation and expansion.
Recognizing the importance of education and representation, the plan also emphasizes recruitment and training for Black male teachers – a vital demographic given that only 1% of public school teachers are Black men. The vice president has pledged to invest in mentorship programs and pathways into teaching while promoting registered apprenticeships and credentialing opportunities within high-demand sectors. She also plans to strengthen the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program to recruit and retain Black male teachers.
Moreover, the agenda addresses the rising interest in cryptocurrency among Black Americans, proposing a comprehensive regulatory framework to safeguard investments. In a proactive health initiative, Harris announced a National Health Equity Initiative targeting conditions disproportionately affecting Black men, including diabetes, sickle cell disease, and prostate cancer, along with a commitment to capping insulin costs at $35 per month.
Harris’s agenda extends to the legalization of recreational marijuana, creating job opportunities within the industry for those historically over-policed for marijuana offenses.
Highlighting the contrasting approaches to Black empowerment, Fulks pointed out that, unlike the Opportunity Agenda, former President Donald Trump’s promises lack specificity.
“The one thing that’s very important to the vice president is, not only are these policies going to be impactful, they’re also achievable,” said Fulks. “The vice president is not out here just spouting out things that people want to hear. It was really important to her that in this policy agenda. Everything that she is laying out is going to be achievable, and that is what you see in front of you.”
Meeting Voters Where They Are
As part of the rollout, the Harris-Walz campaign will host events like “Black Men Huddle Up” watch parties in battleground states, facilitating discussions on the election’s significance for Black communities. In addition, the campaign plans to spotlight economic freedom through talks led by influential Black business leaders.
With this comprehensive agenda, Vice President Harris aims to foster an empowering environment for Black men across America, ensuring they have the tools necessary to lead, innovate, and thrive.
