VP Harris Rallies Black Voters: A Birthday on the Campaign Trail
On a crisp Sunday in Georgia, Vice President Kamala Harris celebrated her 60th birthday not with cake and presents but by rallying Black voters in a crucial swing state. With just over two weeks until Election Day, Harris hit the campaign trail hard, visiting two Atlanta-area churches as part of a nationwide “Souls to the Polls” initiative.
Harris started her day at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest. She spoke about her roots in the Black Church and how it shaped her leadership. “God asks us to speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves,” Harris told the congregation. She urged them to choose between a country of “chaos, fear, and hate” and one of “freedom, compassion, and justice.”
The Vice President then headed to Divine Faith Ministries International in Jonesboro. Here, she got a surprise birthday serenade from none other than music legend Stevie Wonder. Wonder led the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” and Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song,” moving Harris to tears.
But this wasn’t just a feel-good moment. It was part of a carefully planned strategy to boost Black voter turnout. Recent polls show Harris lagging behind President Biden’s 2020 numbers among black voters. In Georgia, where the race is neck-and-neck, every vote counts.
Senator Raphael Warnock spoke before Harris at Divine Faith. He tackled concerns about Black male voter turnout head-on. “The real threat is apathy,” Warnock warned. “Brothers, show up. We need your voice. Real men vote.”
Harris echoed this message in her speech. “Our strength is based on who we lift up,” she said. “And that spirit is very much at stake in these next 16 days.”
The “Souls to the Polls” drive aims to turn churchgoers into voters. After services, buses took people straight to early voting sites. It’s a tactic with deep roots in the Black community, dating back to the civil rights era.
But the Harris campaign faces challenges. Some Black men feel let down by unfulfilled promises on issues like criminal justice reform. Others question Harris’s record as a prosecutor. And church attendance among Black Protestants has dropped in recent years, from 61% in 2019 to 46% in 2022.
In an interview with Rev. Al Sharpton, Harris pushed back on the idea that she’s losing Black male support. She said this “narrative” doesn’t match reality on the ground.
Meanwhile, early voting numbers in Georgia look promising for Democrats. Over 310,000 people voted on the first day, more than double the 2020 total. Harris hopes to keep this momentum going.
As the sun set on her birthday, Harris left Georgia with a clear message: every vote matters. In a race this tight, Black voter turnout could make or break her campaign. The next 16 days will show if her birthday wish for high turnout comes true.