The last weekend before Election DayVice President Kamala Harria and former President Donald Trump step up their last-minute pitch to sway the vote, with both sides trying encourage black men. The nonpartisan group Black Men Vote spoke with CBS News Philadelphia about their plans to get voters to the polls.
“We will be the difference makers in this election,” said Joe Paul, executive director of Black Men Vote.
Paul says candidates are targeting black men, especially the Harris/Walz campaignwith the vice president’s agenda.
“It’s not as extensive as we would like,” Paul said. ‘It’s a good start and it shows that candidates and parties pay more attention to black men. Before then, the conversation was more around, “Hey, go vote, we need your vote, we need your vote.” But here’s never what we’re willing to do for that vote.”
Recently, Black Men Vote drove through the city of Philadelphia, educating the community about the importance of this election.
“If every voter in Philadelphia voted one way or another, it wouldn’t matter what the rest of Pennsylvania does,” Miller said.
Billy Miller, a Philadelphia native and state director of Black Men Vote, says there is a lot of misinformation about the minority vote.
“I see siblings actually working together,” Miller said. “You hear rumors that there is a brotherly backlash in this election and people are going one way or the other.”
His team has gone door to door talking to voters.
“Brothers are angry about poverty and lack of opportunity,” Miller said, “and the black agenda for black men involves much more than just criminal justice reform.”
Miller says Black Men Vote will post on Ogontz Avenue in Northwest Philadelphia on Election Day with historically black sorority Delta Sigma Theta to ensure that everyone goes to the polls.
Paul said that just because you’ve already mailed in your ballot, your civic duty isn’t over.
“Now go back and make sure everyone in your ecosystem has also voted or has a plan to vote,” Paul said.
