The candidates have taken distinct routes to appeal to this coveted group of voters.
Harris’ stock has risen overall in the weeks after the June debate, where in compelling personal terms she took Biden to task for his past opposition to busing as a means to desegregate schools. For some voters, the performance held an added layer of relatability.
Ten days later at the Essence Festival, Harris was greeted warmly at the annual music and cultural celebration of black women that attracted more than half a million over the Fourth of July weekend in New Orleans. Before an audience of thousands, Harris, the daughter of a Jamaican father and Indian mother, framed her presidential run as heir to the legacy of other barrier-breaking black women, such as Sojourner Truth and Rosa Parks.
“I’ve always followed her. I know about her achievements as attorney general in California — the work she’s done,” said Smalls, beaming as Harris wrapped her speech.“I love Elizabeth Warren,” said Smalls, 31, of Raleigh, N.C. “I just love her spirit and her determination.” “We get boxed and framed as if race is the determinant,” said Brown of Black Voters Matter. “Race is only one determinant for us. We have demonstrated with the election of [Alabama Sen.] Doug Jones and others that we will get behind a white candidate.”
Elika Bernard, a Sacramento community organizer, was one of a dozen black women invited to meet with Warren in May after an Oakland rally. The photo op left a lasting impression. Warren’s brand — “I’ve got a plan” — is particularly appealing to black women who say they are weary of vague promises from politicians and are craving specific solutions.
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