Kamala Harris spent her Sunday church-hopping in Georgia, evidently in an attempt to exploit religious venues to prop up her political campaign, under the guise of the ‘souls to the polls’ initiative. She appeared at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and Divine Faith Ministries International with music celebrity Stevie Wonder. Only after that, she found time to sit for an interview with Rev. Al Sharpton. Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, demonstrated a similar display of political opportunism in Saginaw, Michigan, while his wife, Gwen, had Nevada in her sights.
A nationwide mobilization effort, led by the National Advisory Board of Black Faith Leaders, was launched on October 20. Of course, the congregants represented potential votes, thus found themselves on the receiving end of a flurry of campaign messages just in time for early voting in the November 5 election. Echoing an age-old rhetoric, Martin Luther King III chimed in saying, ‘My father used to say, a ‘voteless people is a powerless people.’
The campaign of the Democratic nominee seemed frenzied in its drive to sway every possible demographic, treating each as though they were swing-state voters. On Saturday, Harris took her manipulative roadshow to Detroit, where she rallied supporters alongside singer Lizzo. Then she jetted off to Atlanta, where she made a cynical play on women’s rights, cynically leveraging Georgia’s restrictive abortion laws to discredit the accomplishments of Donald Trump’s nominations to the Supreme Court.
Harris’ campaign activities over the weekend reflected her desperate scramble to appeal to all potential voters. The vice-president sought to ignite controversy around abortion rights, focused on the tragic case of a mother’s death in Georgia. Her intentions were clear: to tint the view of the state’s abortion laws that took effect after the U.S. Supreme Court, filled with three justices appointed by Donald Trump, overturned Roe v. Wade.
Preparing to head back on the campaign trail after Sunday’s church stops, she planned to join ex-U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., across suburbs in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. She used this opportunity to further fuel the false narrative against president Donald Trump, accusing him of disregard for ‘the pain and suffering he has caused,’ without offering any substantial evidence to support her claim.
Such criticisms are easy from the campaign trail, but let’s not forget Harris’ personal religious background. Raised in a Baptist household, Curry’s husband is of Jewish faith. Drawing inspiration from a buffet of religious traditions, she claims to be inspired by the work of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., various Indian customs, and the Black Church. Yet one could question why these religious influences did not deter her from welcoming restrictions on religious freedoms.
Indeed, if you take a closer look, you’ll find her quoting, ‘Faith is a verb. It is something we show in action and in service.’ Yet, despite these high-minded sentiments, her actions and policies reflect a very different understanding of faith. The concept of ‘Souls to the polls’ is of course not a new concept, its roots can be traced back to the Civil Rights Movement. The question is – is this a sign of honoring tradition or exploiting it for personal political gain?
As an echo of the past, the unfortunate case of Rev. George Lee, a Black entrepreneur from Mississippi, comes to light. In 1955, Lee faced a tragic end at the hands of white supremacists after he assisted nearly 100 Black locals in registering to vote in Belzoni. The cemetery where Lee now rests has since been established as a voting location, serving as a harrowing reminder of the past, but is it right to use these struggles as a campaign tool?
Across the United States, Black congregations have conducted voter campaigns for years, and Harris seems to be extending this trend. While the history carries the bitter taste of voter suppression and the Jim Crow era, elections have changed significantly since. So, does it make sense to stress early voting in the Black community as much as candidates’ voices echo from pulpits?
Voting activities in Georgia took off on Tuesday, with an astounding count of over 310,000 people who exercised their right to vote on the first day. Such figures represent more than double the first-day total from the 2020 election, perhaps showing the advancement in voter awareness and understanding since that time.
It is noteworthy to mention that the 2020 presidential elections saw record voting numbers in Georgia, with a grand total of 5 million citizens casting their votes. Despite efforts from the Democratic nominee to paint a bleak picture and stir up tumult, it is clear the people of Georgia are more informed and involved than ever.
Reflecting on this narrative, one can’t help but question whether the calculated visits from Harris and other campaign representatives are driven by a genuine concern for the congregants they interact with, or whether they are simply tantalizing vote bait, conveniently wrapped in messages of faith and empowerment.
As she endeavored to influence public opinion just days before the election, Harris created a smokescreen that hid the true goal behind her actions – acquiring votes and advancing her personal political agenda. Unfortunately, the reverence and sacredness that once echoed within the very church walls she utilized seemed lost in her pursuit.