With early voting coming to a close in most states on Nov. 1, Black turnout across swing states like North Carolina and Georgia has lagged behind past numbers. But this election season is marked by several urgent questions whose ultimate answers will dictate the futures of Black communities.
The power that a strong — or weak — Black voter turnout has in swaying the outcome of the presidential election is not lost on the two leading presidential candidates, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. But they’re taking wildly different tracks to show this.
On Sunday, Trump held a last-ditch rally to inflame his conservative base, where speakers such as so-called comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made racist and crude jokes that included one of his Black “buddies” carving out a watermelon at a Halloween party. The opening speaker also hurled insults at Latinos, Jewish people, and Palestinians. But he wasn’t the only one who made derogatory comments that were met with swift backlash. TV personality Phil McGraw argued America’s foundation lies in “hard work” and not in the values of DEI. While the campaign distanced themselves from some of the speakers’ offensive commentary, Trump’s tone throughout the campaign has been littered with vitriolic and derogatory language.
While her opponent was in New York on Sunday, Harris was in Philadelphia at a Puerto Rican restaurant in a swing state where most Latino voters are Puerto Rican. Two days later on Tuesday night, Harris is making a symbolic return near the National Mall – the same location where Trump made a speech right before the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol – seeking to emphasize unity in stark contrast to Trump’s rhetoric. About 40,000 people are expected to attend Harris’ rally.
Yet this election is about more than just these candidates; it’s about policies that will shape futures, safety, and rights for Black communities across the nation – and the world. Key decisions around policing and the criminal justice system, gender equality and reproductive rights, economic policies, and the ominous Project 2025 agenda stand poised to impact Black folks in ways that are difficult to ignore—and seemingly impossible to afford. Each policy decision has a unique and profound impact on the outcomes of people’s lives.
Read More: Misconduct and Why Judicial Elections Matter
Below, you’ll find recent Capital B coverage on each of these issues, detailing what Black voters should keep in mind as they head to the polls.
Economy
Economic policies continue to affect Black communities acutely, as candidates offer different approaches to support job growth, worker’s rights, and providing adequate housing.
How Harris’ Vision for the Economy Could Boost Black Communities
Where Does Kamala Harris Stand on Key Issues Affecting Black Voters?
Black Communities Fight for a Voice in Manufacturing Boom
Why Hasn’t The Rest of America Followed California’s Lead on Reparations?
Millions May Lose Internet Benefits if Lawmakers Don’t Act
Race and civil rights
With elements of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 under attack and a firestorm of strikes against building diversity, equity, and inclusion within the nation’s institutions, the candidates’ approaches to combating anti-Black racism and guaranteeing civil rights stand in contrast.
60 Years After the Civil Rights Act, Equal Opportunity Is Under Attack
VP Debate Fact Check: A Failed Chance to Grill Candidates on Racial Inequality
Harris Denounces Racist Lies About Haitian Migrants, Appeals to Black Men
‘We Have Something to Say’: Younger Black Voters Want Attention on Gaza
Exonerated ‘Central Park Five’ Members Remind America About Who Donald Trump Has Always Been
Criminal justice
In the area of policing and criminal justice, recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions and state-level legislation around bail reform and sentencing guidelines are gearing up to reshape how Black Americans experience the justice system.
Trump and the Racial Inequality of Felony Convictions
Judges Behaving Badly: Misconduct and Why Judicial Elections Matter
How Trump-Appointed Judges Are Devastating Black Communities
Why Has Qualified Immunity Excused Officers’ Misconduct for Decades?
Where Does Kamala Harris Stand on Criminal Justice Policies?
Reform Rollbacks May Lead to Another Rise in Mass Incarceration
Reproductive rights and health care
Increasing or loosening restrictions on reproductive health care will define if Black pregnant people are forced into more precarious situations, compounding pressures that people already face in accessing resources.
The Post-Dobbs Reality for Black Maternal and Infant Health
Beyoncé, Democrats, and the Fight for ‘Freedom’
Georgia Is One of the Most Unsafe States to Give Birth. Abortion Limits Make It Worse.
Afraid to Seek Care Amid Georgia’s Abortion Ban, She Stayed at Home and Died
Parole and Probation Rules Limit Travel. That Can Be Complicated for People Seeking Abortions.
Project 2025
We’ve widely reported on the threat this 900-page playbook for a second Trump presidency poses to the hard-won progress of Black Americans. Civil rights and equal opportunity, education, Black political participation, the criminal legal system, housing, reproductive justice, and environmental justice are all targets. While Trump distanced himself from Project 2025 and claimed not to know who’s behind it, a CNN review found at least 140 people who worked for him have contributed to it.
‘Project 2025’ and the Movement That Could Erode Black Equality
SCOTUS Aligns with Project 2025, Allows ‘Big Business’ Greater Say in Regulations
Project 2025 Wants to Kill a Solution to Alabama’s Sewage Problem
Project 2025’s Aim to Gut NOAA May Make Storms Like Helene Even More Devastating
Ayanna Pressley: ‘Stay Woke’ About Project 2025’s Weaponization of the DOJ
The Court Ruling That Guarantees a Future of Environmental Racism
Project 2025: What Could It Mean for Education in Georgia?
Rural issues
Rural voters’ impact shows up in local and state elections, and while there’s a desire for national influence, increased efforts to suppress their vote poses obstacles.
Why the Political Power of Black Rural Voters Is Often Invisible
America’s Rural South Is Paying the Price for Europe’s Energy
‘It’s About Damn Time’: Georgia Residents React to Harris-Walz Rally in Savannah
Justice Has Been Delayed for Black Farmers, and They’re Looking to the Next President for Answers
Rural America Has an Eviction Crisis, Too
The candidates and messaging
Both candidates are pushing hard for Black voters, but their methods expose differences in the way that Black people are prioritized in policy decisions.
Harris Did Not Come to Play With Trump — Five Takeaways From the Debate
What Headlines Miss About Black Men’s Support for Harris
Why the GOP’s Calls for Unity Feel Hollow to Many Black Americans
Fact-Check: How Accurate is Harris On Abortion, Economy, Criminal Justice, Trump?
Fact Check: What Are Black Jobs?
The GOP’s Long-Shot Bid for Black Voters
The post What Black Voters Should Know Before Heading to the Polls appeared first on Capital B News.