Cliff Albright and LaTosha Brown, Co-Founders of Black Voters Matter and April England-Albright, National Legal Director of Black Voters Matter issue this statement following Biden’s Withdrawal from Presidential Race and Harris Endorsement
In the aftermath of President Biden’s historic and commendable decision to step out of the 2024 Presidential race, it’s necessary to revisit how we got here. In 2020, when Joe Biden’s primary campaign was on life support, Black voters stepped in to support him. We did so because we believed Biden to be the best chance to defeat the racist incumbent. Black voters were correct, and Trump was defeated by the Biden-Harris ticket.
The Biden-Harris administration then went about making historic progress on many issues important to Black voters. This includes strong civil rights attorneys at the Department of Justice, who have prosecuted officers and white supremacists such as those who killed Brianna Taylor and Ahmad Arbury. The Administration also increased funding to HBCU’s, cancelled student debt which disproportionately plagues Black voters, and achieved the lowest rates ever for Black unemployment.
And in addition to appointing the first Black woman Supreme Court Justice, who has been a strong voice for reproductive rights and civil rights, President Biden has appointed the most Black and diverse federal judges than any President in American history. For these reasons, an overwhelming percentage of Black support was included in the 14 million primary votes for the Biden-Harris ticket.
With the President’s decision to step aside, the majority of Black Voters will not respect any process that overlooks VP Kamala Harris as the presumed nominee. The Democratic Party’s elected officials, delegates, donors, and pundits should join President Biden in endorsing VP Kamala Harris immediately so that the very important work of defeating Trump again can be the sole focus over the next 15 weeks. Anything else will be political suicide, and will be reminiscent of the 1964 Democratic Convention, where Black Voters, inside and outside of the halls of the Democratic Convention, were overlooked. Such a move from a party that is already viewed as “taking Black voters for granted” would be the last straw for Black voters.
Today, we ask the Democratic Party delegates to join this movement and nominate VP Harris as the Democratic nominee. Black Voters and all marginalized voters must raise our voices right now, in our communities and online, and demand that the Party direct its resources and infrastructure to support VP Harris and a progressive agenda. Black voters were correct in 2020, and we are correct now!
We have the power to build on the past 4 years and to achieve even more, on issues such as economic justice, reparations, police accountability and the war in Gaza. But we must unite now in support of VP Harris. If we do so, not only will we make history, but we will make progress. Let’s go!
