Harris unveils new proposals targeting Black men as she looks to shore up Democratic coalition

By Ebony Davis and Eva McKend, CNN

(CNN) — Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday unveiled new proposals targeting Black men as she seeks to strengthen her coalition ahead of Election Day.

The announcement comes as Harris lags behind President Joe Biden’s numbers with Black voters in 2020, especially men, though recent polling suggests she has room to grow. Last week, former President Barack Obama delivered a stark warning to Black men, saying it’s “not acceptable” to sit out this election and suggesting they might be reluctant to vote for Harris because she’s a woman.

The proposal aims to provide Black men “with the tools to achieve financial freedom, lower costs to better provide for themselves and their families, and protect their rights,” according to a release by the campaign.

Part of the proposal includes providing one million loans that are fully forgivable up to $20,000 to Black entrepreneurs and others to start a business. According to the campaign, the loans would be provided through a new partnership between the Small Business Administration and some lenders and banks.

Harris is also calling for creating and investing in programs that help expand pathways for job opportunities for Black men, including promoting apprenticeships, strengthening the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and investing in more Black male teachers. On the campaign trail, Harris has said she will cut college degree requirements for certain federal jobs if elected president.

The plan will also support a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency and other digital assets and a National Health Equity Initiative that focuses on addressing health challenges that disproportionately impact Black men. Another component includes legalizing recreational marijuana and creating opportunities for Black Americans to succeed in the industry. The vice president has often reiterated that she believes marijuana should legalized in the US.

The campaign will tout the agenda during several upcoming events, including “Black Men Huddle Up” events, an Economic Freedom Talk series and paid media outreach as they try to draw a contrast with former President Donald Trump.

“Donald Trump’s outreach is gold sneakers, T shirts of mug shots and insults and putting other communities down. The Vice President is actually speaking to what Black men can achieve under her presidency. We think that’s a stark point of contrast, and one that is important to talk about,” Harris-Walz campaign communications Director Michael Tyler said in a statement.

As CNN has reported, Harris had been focused on turning out Black men even before she took over as the Democratic nominee, trying to get the enthusiasm there for Biden when he was still running for reelection.

“The concern is that the couch is going to win,” one person close to the Harris team previously told CNN. “We need to make sure that Black men, Hispanic men, don’t sit on the couch. Because if they don’t vote at all. That’s (a) vote for him.”

Harris will travel to Detroit this week for a Tuesday radio town hall hosted by nationally syndicated radio co-host Charlamagne tha God, who has millions of followers across digital platforms, while “The Breakfast Club” enjoys a vast nationwide audience, much of it Black.

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