What the Harris marketing campaign is doing to attempt to win over extra Black males : NPR

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. — From behind her barber chair and in her neighborhood, Cherita Evans — who goes by “Storm the Barber” — has picked up on a troubling development for Vice President Harris’ marketing campaign.

“Most of my female family and friends — they’re voting for Harris,” Evans mentioned in an interview on the Head Changerz store final week. However she mentioned a number of the males in her life aren’t so certain. “I think … a lot of men aren’t ready to vote for a woman.”

“In my community, you have a lot of men, who, you know, won’t even be under a female leadership in church,” mentioned Evans.

This can be a drawback the Harris marketing campaign is racing to handle as early voting begins in key states the place each vote will depend. Polls present former President Donald Trump could also be making some inroads with Black male voters — and different Black males could not vote.

That’s why on Tuesday Harris shall be taking questions from callers in swing states in a city corridor dialog moderated by Charlamagne tha God, an influential Black radio host who has pulled only a few punches with Democratic politicians.

The problem was underscored by former President Barack Obama this week. He spoke what he referred to as “some truths” about how power and turnout for Harris in Black communities was not what it was when he was working — and mentioned that it “seems to be more pronounced with the brothers.”

“Part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that,” Obama mentioned.

What Harris is doing to achieve Black male voters

Harris’ marketing campaign is working to interact Black male voters, together with internet hosting tailgate occasions at homecomings at traditionally Black faculties. Harris additionally had a dialog on All of the Smoke, a podcast hosted by two former NBA stars, the place she talked about her identification — one thing she hasn’t usually leaned into on the marketing campaign path.

This weekend, Harris is in North Carolina assembly native Black leaders. On Sunday, she plans to attend a church service in Greenville, and later maintain a rally. The town is in Jap North Carolina, a piece of the state with a big Black inhabitants, however the place turnout amongst these voters has lagged lately.

Her path to the presidency runs by way of communities like Rocky Mount, the place NPR first met Evans again in Could.

At the moment, Evans was lower than enthusiastic concerning the election, saying she didn’t like Trump or Biden. Evans was upset that Harris had disappeared from the highlight.

“After she became vice president, it seemed like she just kind of got quiet,” mentioned Evans.

Evans mentioned she thinks Harris is a greater candidate than Biden — however not excellent.

“I’m going to be honest with you: I don’t really like Trump, so I am going to vote for her,” mentioned Evans. “But I don’t think she’s done a very great job of addressing the main issues that we are having.”

Like so many citizens this yr, Evans says gasoline costs are excessive and groceries are too costly. She sees Harris speaking about going after corporations for value gouging within the advertisements that present up always on the TV within the barbershop — however Evans doesn’t purchase that as an actual resolution.

There is a generational divide in voting

Again in Could, Evans was reducing the hair of Christian Kilos, a 22-year-old school pupil. On the time he didn’t like both candidate and didn’t suppose his vote would change something.

Reached on the telephone this week, he mentioned he’s undoubtedly planning to vote. “When Biden dropped out, I was kind of happy,” Kilos mentioned, explaining he thought Biden was too outdated for the job.

The opposite evening, Pound says he obtained right into a heated dialogue along with his uncle and his cousin about voting. His cousin isn’t planning to vote. “My uncle was like, ‘You better vote for Kamala Harris.’”

Kilos mentioned he sees an actual generational divide amongst his family and friends — “the young people vs. the old, when it comes to voting vs. not voting,”

Within the neighboring neighborhood of Wilson, Mike Harris is a barber at Fashion Masters. He’s been voting for Democrats all his life, and mentioned he hopes Harris will turn into the primary feminine president.

However the identical isn’t true for all of his shoppers and buddies

“Some people — I don’t know if they joking or not — say they are” voting for Trump, mentioned Mike Harris.

“Some people don’t believe in female leaders, but I tell them all the time … my mom raised me and my brother in our house. So I think that, you know, women can do the job,” Mike Harris mentioned.

NPR’s Jason Fuller and Gus Contreras contributed to this story.