An NAACP poll conducted of 1,000 registered Black voters between Aug. 6 and Aug. 12, before the Kamala Harris-Donald Trump debate, revealed that along with a rise in Black voter enthusiasm carried by Vice President Harris’ emergence in the presidential race, there is a generational divide regarding who supports Harris and who supports her opponent, former President Donald Trump.
According to The Hill, the survey, conducted in partnership with HIT Strategies and Hart Research, found that 78% of Black voters surveyed feel that the excitement level for Harris matches the level that existed when Barack Obama was running for president, while 56% feel that the excitement level is even higher than in 2008.
Along with those findings, 51% of Black voters said that if the election were held today, they would cast their vote for Harris, compared to 27% who indicated they would vote for Trump. In addition, a
stark contrast was uncovered among different generations of Black voters. Among Black voters over 50, 79% of Black women said they would vote for Harris, 66% of Black men said the same; but among voters 18-49, only 56% said they would cast their vote for Harris.Furthermore, among undecided voters, 25% of that particular population’s perception of Harris had grown less favorable over the last month, while 14% said their perception of the vice president had improved. Among the rest of the Black voters surveyed by the NAACP, 59% of voters said that their view of Harris had improved during that same period.
According to Reuters, Black men under 50 also strongly supported former President Trump. While 49% of those voters said they supported Harris, 26% of Black men under 50 said that they supported Trump. By comparison, among Black women, the figure of that demographic who indicated that they would support Trump came in at 8%, while those who supported Vice President Harris was a robust 67%.
According to NAACP national leadership, more needs to be done to reach Black voters. They emphasize the importance of this year’s election and the choices presented to Black Americans by Vice President Harris and former President Trump. More than half of Black voters indicated that the highest priority for the leaders they elect should be the protection of rights and freedoms.
Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony, president of the Detroit NAACP branch, stated that the narrative suggesting significant support for Trump among young Black men has been exaggerated.
“Black men are not going to vote for Trump in numbers. They just ain’t going to do that. And I’ve heard it. l’ve heard him talking about we got a great increase, the Black men are going to vote for (Trump). That’s why he’s using the
gold gym shoes. And I think, and see that’s insulting that you think you can get me by sending me some gold gym shoes, red bottom and a T- shirt with your picture on it behind prison walls,” Rev. Anthony told BridgeDetroit.He continued, “And so I don’t think my brother, that you’re going to see a whole lot of young Black men voting for him. Now you’re going to see some, there’s always some. Tim Scott, Lord have mercy. I mean, so you’re going to always have some, but I think it’s overblown.”
As Derrick Johnson, the president and CEO of the NAACP, told The Hill, ““This election season, we’ve witnessed a surge of enthusiasm among Black voters that we haven’t seen in some time. But we cannot be distracted — there are still voters to be reached,” Johnson said.
Johnson continued, “Make no mistake, our lives depend on our votes. This November, casting our ballots will be more than just us exercising our right to vote — it is the key to the future of our culture, and our community.”
Phaedra Jackson, the NAACP’s vice president of Unit Advocacy and Effectiveness, echoed Johnson’s concerns, telling the outlet, “As part of our massive civic engagement program, we’re targeting both frequent and low-propensity voters, especially those in densely populated Black communities.”
Jackson concluded, “The soul of this nation is on the ballot in November. We want Black communities to understand what’s at stake and take action.”
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