October 14, 2024
The plan aims to help Black men achieve financial freedom for themselves and their families while protecting their rights.
Kamala Harris has unveiled her Opportunity Agenda for Black men, which aims to help Black men achieve financial freedom for themselves and their families while protecting their rights.
The plan would expand her goals for business owners and explore mentorship opportunities for this demographic. First, she hopes to provide 1 million loans, which would be fully forgivable for up to $20,000, for Black entrepreneurs, as well as those with businesses in underserved communities.
“For Vice President Harris, getting by is not enough—it’s about making sure that Black men in America have the opportunity to get ahead, to thrive, and to be the change agents in communities across the nation,” Harris’ campaign tells BLACK ENTERPRISE.
Moreover, Harris wants to create programs for Black men to gain access to jobs, regardless of degree-holding status. She seeks to accomplish this through HBCU partnerships with the Department of Education. Prioritizing Black male teacher training, Harris also wants to strengthen the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program in her effort to recruit and retain this cohort.
Additional collaborations with state and local governments, community organizations like the National Urban League, and the private sector will offer a wider range of apprenticeships and credentialing opportunities. As for advancing its financial portfolio, Harris will support a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency and digital assets to better protect Black owners.
The creation of a National Health Equity Initiative hopes to address illnesses that disproportionately impact Black men, such as sickle cell disease, diabetes, mental health, and prostate cancer. Harris already intends to cap insulin costs at $35 a month with a $2,000 limit on out-of-pocket spending for prescription drugs, which joins new plans to expand preventative screening programs and increase the budget of the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities.
Furthermore, she hopes to fully fund the Sickle Cell Data Collection Program while reducing the medical debt of many Black households.
In regards to criminal justice, the legalization of recreational marijuana remains a priority, while also building pathways for Black men to venture into the growing cannabis industry. The news release also urged how Harris’ opponent, Donald Trump, and his policy will not uplift Black men.
“From being investigated by the Department of Justice for refusing to rent to Black tenants, to falsely accusing the Central Park 5 and calling for their execution, to spreading the racist birther conspiracy theory against President Obama, at every step of his life Donald Trump put Black men down for his own personal brand,” explained Congressman and Harris-Walz Campaign Co-Chair Cedric Richmond. “While Vice President Harris is promising to equip Black men with the tools needed to pursue our dreams and aspirations, Donald Trump is promising Black in America a national nightmare.”
To spread awareness of her latest agenda, the Harris-Walz campaign will host “Black Men Huddle Up” events with public figures of this demographic. Starting Oct. 13, Black men across the country will join virtual and in-person events at Black-owned eateries to discuss the November election.
An Economic Freedom Talk series with Black business owners and advocates, as well as a Shop Talk series and forums, will also encourage Black men to join the fight for Team Harris-Walz. This extensive programming accompanies paid media testimonials across key states. This outreach toward Black voters hopes to show Harris’ plan to uplift Black America.
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