Vice President Kamala Harris attempted to rally Black male voters with her ‘Opportunity Agenda for Black Men’ announced recently. The curious timing of this implementation, merely weeks away from Election Day, indicates a scramble to patch up potential holes appearing in her support base rather than a wholly genuine initiative. This hazy array of economic policies includes the provision of a million ‘wholly pardonable’ loans to Black business owners. A closer look reveals this is nothing more than a strategy to win back the slipping support of a key demographic.
Adventuring into the domain of digital currency, Harris proposed new federal regulations for cryptocurrency. Regardless of her claim that these regulations are intended to safeguard investor interests, it appears the veiled objective is to satisfy the lobbyists and the political donors who are feeling threatened by technological advancements and the free market.
A key feature of Harris’ agenda is the national legalization of marijuana for recreational use, a move that appears to be a reckless attempt at gaining traction among a demographic that supposedly supports this policy. However, it may result in unforeseen legal and social complexities. The idea of ensuring that Black entrepreneurs have access to the growing cannabis industry provides a hint of pandering rather than a sound economic plan.
Polling suggests that former President Donald Trump seems to have garnered significant support among Black men. The apparent impact may potentially turn the tides in an election predicted to be exceedingly close. Democrats, therefore, appear to be in a state of concern about dwindling turnout among Black voters, even as they bank on the prospect of having the first Black woman president in the history of the United States.
Harris’ campaign promises, if elected, to ‘dismantle unjust legal obstructions’ that hinder the progress of Black men including national marijuana legalization. This reflects an approach that potentially carries serious consequences and disregards the concern for communities dealing with drug issues. Also, it attempts to recast the conversation and ignores addressing other relevant matters that deeply affect the Black community.
The intent to assist Black men in entering the budding cannabis industry appears to be a token gesture, rather than a comprehensive plan for broad economic progress. The merits are based solely on the assumption that this demographic has experienced unfair law enforcement relating to marijuana use. The campaign’s portrayal of this policy as a clear contrast to Donald Trump’s strategy glosses over the fact that the current administration has already taken substantial strides in revising marijuana law.
Despite being painted as a major accomplishment, the Biden administration’s decision to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I to a less dangerous Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act, looks more calculated for political gains rather than public welfare. Furthermore, the narrative conveniently omits the fact that recreational marijuana usage is legal in the District of Columbia and 24 other states.
Trump, on the other hand, shared his support for a measure legalizing recreational marijuana in Florida, his home state. While Harris and her campaign might attempt to twist this to serve their narrative, it shows the former president’s ability to accommodate shifting public views besides his usual conservative stance.
Harris delineated her economic policy at a Pennsylvania-based Black-owned business, evidently using the opportunity to present her agenda directly to Black enterprise. It would seem the orchestrated backdrop of a campaign rally carries more weight than the actual substance of her economic strategies. This further underscores the campaign’s desperate attempts to resecure faltering support among Black men.
Harris’ bid to offer loans, fully pardonable up to $20,000, to Black entrepreneurs seems like a posturing move rather than a concrete strategy to uplift Black entrepreneurs. The stipulated eligibility criteria of ‘needing resources, connections, or access to capital to kick-start a venture’ are rather vague and futuristic, presenting a blanket solution that falls short of meeting the complex requirements of starting a business.
Additionally, the promise to ‘protect’ cryptocurrency investors seems far from plausible. With more than 20% of Black Americans owning or having owned cryptocurrency assets, one must wonder the real intent behind this initiative. What protections and regulations are being proposed and how they will be implemented remains unknown.
Harris’ economic agenda is wide-ranging yet superficial. It promises to expand education, training, and mentorship for Black men, but these ideas read more as buzzwords than solid plans. Notably, the agenda points out investing in more Black male teachers and promoting apprenticeships and credentialing opportunities
The proposal extends to strengthening the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program to recruit and retain Black male teachers. However, it seems as a glaring attempt to merely fulfill checkboxes, ignoring the intrinsic value and potential of Black men in various other fields.
The health equity initiative targeted at Black men by Harris appears to be an afterthought, added to round off an otherwise lopsided focus on economic and business-based incentives. Key health challenges among African American people, like sickle cell disease, diabetes, mental health, and prostate cancer are mentioned but their effective redressal lacks a solid operational plan.
Harris’ approach seems to ignore the complexity of the challenges of Black communities. The one-size-fits-all plan that she offers suggests a lack of deep engagement and understanding of their unique needs and perspectives. It merely appears as an attempt to tailormake policies to win over voting blocs as opposed to designing them for actual societal progress.
All in all, Harris’ ‘Opportunity Agenda for Black Men’ reads more as a last-ditch effort to keep traditional Democrat voting blocs in line, rather than a considered and comprehensive vision to uplift and empower Black men. The entire proposition, coming in so close to Election Day, reeks of desperation rather than a genuine and thought-out political strategy.