The hosts dive into Kamala Harris’s campaign agenda specifically for Black men, discussing the challenges of engagement and representation. They tackle the alarming rise in political violence and election denialism, emphasizing the risks it poses for upcoming elections. With Breast Cancer Awareness Month in mind, they share personal health narratives while stressing civic engagement’s importance. Additionally, they highlight key Senate and House races, all the while mixing serious topics with lighthearted banter to keep the dialogue engaging.
Kamala Harris's newly unveiled agenda for Black men aims to address systemic disparities with comprehensive support for small businesses and healthcare.
The podcast highlights the rising concern of political violence in elections, particularly regarding the legitimacy of results and its effects on marginalized communities.
Critiques of mainstream media illustrate the need for nuanced representations of Black voters, urging a shift away from oversimplified narratives.
Deep dives
The Stakes of the Election
The current election is framed as critical due to the potential consequences of another Trump administration. During his tenure, Black uninsured and unemployment rates significantly increased, and his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in disproportionate losses for the Black community, including lives and businesses. The podcast highlights concerns regarding Trump's Project 2025 agenda, which threatens to cut essential social programs like Medicare and Social Security, further exacerbating systemic inequalities. To prevent these outcomes, the podcast urges listeners to actively participate in the electoral process by voting for Kamala Harris.
Kamala Harris's Engagement with Black Voters
The podcast discusses Kamala Harris's proactive engagement with Black voters, particularly through her recent radio town hall with prominent figures like Charlamagne Tha God. In this town hall, she addressed crucial issues affecting the community, such as economic stability and reparations, showing her commitment to understanding and responding to the needs of Black men. The hosts express appreciation for her outreach efforts, noting that such engagement helps make her policies more accessible and relatable to voters. This approach aims to dispel the notion that she does not speak to the needs of Black Americans.
Dissecting the Black Agenda
Harris's newly unveiled agenda for Black men is highlighted as a significant step in addressing systemic disparities. The agenda is said to include support for small businesses, particularly loans that can transition into grants for Black entrepreneurs, and discussions around cannabis and cryptocurrency. However, the podcast emphasizes that her plan is broad, encompassing various aspects of life, including healthcare and economic opportunities. This comprehensive approach aims to move beyond solely criminal justice reform, recognizing the holistic needs of the community.
Political Violence and the Election Landscape
The podcast delves into the rising concern surrounding political violence in the context of elections, referencing the January 6th insurrection as a pivotal moment. There is apprehension about the reaction of supporters to potential election outcomes, emphasizing that many individuals now reject the legitimacy of election results when they do not align with their preferences. The discussion includes the need for vigilance as this environment fosters hostility towards marginalized communities, creating fears for personal safety among voters. By coining this environment as a form of political violence, the podcast urges individuals to recognize and combat these threats.
The Role of Mainstream Media
Mainstream media's framing of Black political participation and elite perceptions of Black voters is scrutinized throughout the episode. The podcast critiques the tendency of media outlets to sensationalize narratives around Black men's voting habits while often ignoring the significant support they provide to Democrats. Additionally, it highlights the responsibility of media to portray nuanced understandings of Black voters instead of relying on clichés, such as viewing them only through the lens of barbershop culture. This conversation advocates for a reexamination of how Black political engagement is represented in the media and its implications for voter turnout.
This week hosts Tiffany Cross, Angela Rye, and Andrew Gillum dig into the Harris’ campaigns agenda for Black men. When she doesn’t address Black folks they say she’s disrespectful, when she does they say she panders–our hosts have some sharp words for those who would lay the results of this election at the feet of Black folk.
We have got to talk about the looming threat of political violence and election-denialism. This is guaranteed not to be a normal election, particularly if it’s close. Our hosts point out important election-related court battles, and explain how the GOP strategy of denying election results is connected to the increasing threats of political violence.
Finally, the hosts point out some important Senate and House races to pay attention to, and shout out Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a personal story. Get involved and donate and nationalbreastcancer.org.
Watch full episodes of Native Land Pod here on YouTube.
Thank you to the Native Land Pod team:
Angela Rye as host, executive producer and cofounder of Reasoned Choice Media; Tiffany Cross as host and producer, Andrew Gillum as host and producer, and Lauren Hansen as executive producer; Loren Mychael is our research producer, and Nikolas Harter is our editor and producer. Special thanks to Chris Morrow and Lenard McKelvey, co-founders of Reasoned Choice Media.