As Vice President Kamala Harris heads to the November election, she continues to leave a lasting impact on the young Black women.
The Atlanta Voice reports that the Harris campaign may be responsible for the recent surge in voter registration among young Black women. According to data shared by TargetSmart, the voter registration rate for young Black women across 13 of the nation’s “key battleground states” has soared to 175%.
This is almost triple the rate reported during the last presidential election between President Joe Biden and Donald J. Trump in 2020. In general, the registration rate for Black women has increased by 98%, and the Black voter rate overall has jumped to 85%.
In less than 24 hours after it was announced that Harris would replace Biden on the November 2024 ballot, Black women raised $1.3 million for her campaign.
“We’re together. We’re beautiful, we’re strong, we’re capable. We’re ready. We have incredible power in this group,” said Aimee Allison, a regular attendee of the #WinWithBlackWomen network weekly calls in recent years. “People just were so hungry for that community and for that feeling of hope.”
It is important to note Black students’ interest in civic engagement and activities has risen since Harris took an oath to serve the nation as Madame Vice President in 2021.
In 2022, Child Trends reported that Black students were more likely to express interest in civic engagement and activities than their peers; experiences with racism had a significant impact on the data. Moreover, the study revealed that Black children are also more likely to use platforms like social media to promote political awareness and participation among their peers. They also use this avenue to engage in activism.
“As these young girls and women continue to assert their political power, their influence could extend into shaping educational policies, like more civic education in the classroom, that will benefit predominantly Black schools and communities,” said education doctoral student Hilary Wilson, who is currently studying in the state of Louisiana.
On January 20, 2021, Harris made history as the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American to be elected to this position and could very well do the same if she comes out victorious during the 2024 Presidential Election, opposite Republican nominee Donald Trump.
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