Rev. Greg Lewis, an assistant pastor at St. Gabriel's Church of God In Christ in Milwaukee, went above and beyond earlier this week by physically carrying one of his parishioners to the polls inside the city's Midtown early voting center to cast a ballot in Wisconsin's upcoming Democratic primary. The disabled man, supported by crutches and the pastor himself, was just one of many residents Lewis has assisted in voting this cycle.
Through his nonprofit organization, Souls to the Polls, Lewis has been organizing multi-church early voting campaign drives after Sunday services, aiming to increase voter turnout among Black residents.
"They are the difference makers," Lewis emphasized on Monday.
President Biden's winning coalition in 2020 was largely driven by Black voters, especially in major cities in battleground states. However, there are indications that his support among this voter group has waned. According to a CBS News poll conducted in late February, 76% of likely Black voters expressed support for his reelection, a decrease from the 87% who voted for him in 2020.
The Black voters and organizers interviewed in battleground states expressed disappointment about the upcoming rematch of the 2020 presidential election, fearing it may result in voter apathy in November.
While they acknowledge Mr. Biden's policies and legislative record, they feel there have been challenges in effectively communicating his successes to voters.
They suggest that the president should appear in larger, more accessible venues and have more frequent meetings with Black groups and organizations in Black communities.
"He's getting there. He just needs to be in Georgia more and let the people see him get out," said Tina Metcalf, a former educator who recently attended a speech by Mr. Biden in Atlanta.
Concerns about voter apathy, messaging and representation
In January, Karen Weaver, the former mayor of Flint, Michigan, participated in a virtual meeting between Black women leaders and the Biden campaign leadership. The women expressed concerns about the representation of Black women in leadership and surrogate roles within the Biden campaign, as well as the effectiveness of communicating the administration's record.
Weaver and Holli Holliday, the president of Sisters Lead Sisters Vote, who organized the meeting, stated that these concerns persist.
"The message ought to be loud and clear," Weaver emphasized, addressing concerns about the campaign's effectiveness.
"We need diverse messengers to reach different audiences beyond the president and vice president," Holliday stressed. "Misinformation has eroded trust in elected officials."
Responding to demands for more Black women in campaign leadership, a Biden spokesperson highlighted their hiring of Black women to lead crucial programs at both national and state levels, including voter protection and access initiatives.
Following a focus group organized by BlackPAC, initial negative sentiments toward Mr. Biden among voters shifted after learning about policy changes such as student loan forgiveness and a cap on insulin prices.
"While Black voters are excited about policy initiatives, they haven't felt their impact yet. This is a challenge of long-term policy-making," explained Quentin James, founder of the Collective PAC.
Biden vs. Trump: Energizing Voters in Battleground States
Battleground state party officials and organizers say highlighting the binary choice between Mr. Biden and former President Donald Trump, in addition to the White House's record, is key to energizing voters.
"It's still relatively early in the campaign," Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia said Sunday on "Face the Nation." "I think that at the end of day Black voters, Georgia voters, will see that this is a binary choice. And the more Donald Trump talks, the better our fortunes will be."
The Biden campaign's outreach
Following his State of the Union speech, Mr. Biden's campaign ramped up its battleground state travel, infrastructure and outreach to key voting blocs. As part of a $30 million ad buy in March, the campaign launched multiple ads targeting Black voters in the battleground states.
"As bad as Trump was, his economy was worse. And Black America felt it the most," Mr. Biden says to the camera in one ad.
In August 2023, the Biden campaign announced a $25 million advertising campaign that included targeting voters through Black-owned media, such as "The Shade Room" media company.
"It's not one of those campaigns which we feel is parachuting in at the last minute. They are coming here repeatedly and they are focused on talking to Black voters," said Angela Lang, the founder of Black Leaders Organizing Communities in Milwaukee.
Republicans Exploit Opening Among Black Voters
Despite Mr. Biden's continued majority support among Black voters, there has been a slight increase in support for Trump within this voting bloc.
Republicans have seized this opportunity by employing a broad range of messaging strategies. For instance, in March, Trump's super PAC MAGA Inc. launched radio ads tailored for Black voters in Michigan, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. These ads focused on transgender policies and immigration. Additionally, Trump often highlights the economic improvements and low Black unemployment rates during his administration in his speeches.
Mikail Stewart-Saadiq, a director at the Michigan Muslim Community Council in Detroit, noted that he has observed "many" young Black men showing support for the MAGA movement.
"They feel marginalized in society and perceive themselves as outsiders. Certain factors push us to the fringes. The Republican Party, along with some of the MAGA rhetoric, is tapping into this sentiment," said Stewart-Saadiq, who was involved in organizing for Biden's campaign in 2020.
Joe Biden, along with his campaign and White House officials, have condemned some of Trump's recent comments as "racist." This includes Trump's suggestion in a February speech that Black voters can relate to his mugshot.
Organizers are confident that the choice between the two candidates will become more evident as the campaign progresses.
"The Trump situation is rapidly deteriorating," stated Holliday from Sisters Lead Sisters Vote. "While we are holding up fine, they are performing terribly."
