Martin Luther King III is urging the public to not blame Black men for what happens in the 2024 presidential election.
The son of the civil rights icon believes the election outcome does not rest on the backs of Black male voters. However, he does believe that many are starting to point fingers at the demographic and will continue to do so if Vice President Kamala Harris loses. He spoke to USA Today about his thoughts on the race.
“This election is not going to be won or lost by the number of Black men that support or do not support (Harris), even though it’s going to be probably razor-thin,” stated King in the interview. “You can’t go and say, well, it’s Black men’s fault…That’s where it seems like it’s trying to go.”
His words come as concerns over Black men voting for Harris becomes an issue within the Democratic Party. However, the majority of Black men remain in support of Harris. According to the New York Times/Siena College October survey, 70 percent of Black men intend to vote Democrat this election. This number is significantly lower than Biden’s support from the identity group, which was 87% in 2020, per the Pew Research Center.
However, King emphasized that the election results rest on everyone’s shoulders, and that no one should be singled out in the voting process.
He added, “To win this election, it takes a coalition of women, of men, of Black men, of white men, of everyone, Latino and Hispanic people, in some cases Native American people.”
Democratic heavyweights such as former President Barack Obama have leaned into the fears of Black men slipping away from the party. During his speech at Harris’ campaign office in Pittsburgh, Obama directed his thoughts to the group. In his criticized message, he suggested that their hesitation stems from issues with a woman as president.
“You’re coming up with all kinds of reasons and excuses; I’ve got a problem with that,” expressed the former president. “Because part of it makes me think — and I’m speaking to men directly — 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.”
Despite the intensifying backlash toward Black men, King’s wife, Arndrea Waters King, doubts that their efforts would garner recognition even if they did result in Harris’ win.
“Probably not,” shared Waters King, in response to the question of Black men getting credit for their turnout. “I think that it’s like, as [King III] said, it seems the narrative is more skewed to blaming.”
Furthermore, how the Democratic Party treats Black voters, through policy and outreach, remains a concern for many across the electorate.
