Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential elections shook America’s black communities, who overwhelmingly voted for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris despite her Republican rival’s campaign to woo black men.
While Trump gained ground among Black Americans in North Carolina and some community members celebrated his victory, nationally his share of the vote among Black voters remained unchanged in Tuesday’s 2020 poll, according to an exit poll conducted by Edison Research, which showed a much larger shift toward Trump among Hispanic voters.
Black voters were important to US President Joe Biden’s victory over Trump in 2020, when Kamala was also elected the first black vice president and first Asian-American in the US. If she had won on Tuesday, she would have become the first female president of the United States.
Most of the two dozen Black Americans who spoke to Reuters for this story said they feared a second Trump term, including a rollback on civil rights following his promise to end federal diversity and inclusion programs.
Many said his rhetoric, including racist and sexist language, demonstrated that he did not have the interests of black people in mind.
Mary Spencer, 72, a retired nurse and educator in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, was disheartened by Trump’s victory. He said Trump’s views on blacks are condescending.
“Because that’s what he thinks of us – that we only strive to do the jobs that (illegal) immigrants come to do – which he identifies as cleaning or working on landscaping projects. Things that don’t require a lot of skills or education.”
At an event with black journalists in July, Trump said immigrants were taking “black jobs,” reinforcing racist stereotypes about the types of jobs black Americans do.
Trump denies being racist. He claims his economic agenda will lower taxes, lower housing costs and increase job creation for all Americans, including blacks. His campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Katrena Holmes, 51, a black businesswoman from Riverdale, Georgia, voted for Kamala, hoping she would unify the country and reduce racial inequality. A Trump victory threatens to halt progress in closing those gaps, given his political agenda and rhetoric, he said.
“There is a spirit of division,” he added.
Nadia Brown, director of the women’s and gender studies program at Georgetown University, said Trump’s victory was likely “a psychological blow” to many black Americans, excited by the prospect of having the first female president and the second black leader, who could promote political changes for his communities.
“Her rhetoric and all her racist and racially charged comments will just be another distraction,” Brown said, adding that people will feel disheartened after spending months organizing for Kamala.
However, civil rights and campaign groups said the outcome will spur them to fight even harder for racial equality.
“We will mobilize from all sides to try to stop the continued progression of the reduction of all our fundamental rights and freedoms. We will not remain silent,” said Jotaka Eaddy, founder of the group Win With Black Women, which started a wave of protests. organization for Kamala and raised millions of dollars in the first hours after rising to the top of the Democratic ticket in July.
Kamala won 86% of the black vote, compared to Trump’s 12%, the same percentage of support Biden received in 2020, according to Edison Research.
Throughout his campaign, Trump tried to make inroads among black men, but received only 20% of the vote, a one percentage point increase from 2020, according to Edison Research. Kamala won 92% of Black female voters nationwide, a two-point increase from 2020. Black voters made up 11% of the voter share nationwide.
Source: Terra
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