Tipsheet

Harris Campaign Backtracks After Discriminatory Loans Proposal

Katie Pavlich
Katie Pavlich  |  October 17, 2024 12:00 PM

With just three weeks to go until Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris issued a list of proposals in effort to regain support from black voters -- specifically men. 

(1) Providing 1 million loans that are fully forgivable to Black entrepreneurs and others to start a business.

(2) Championing education, training, and mentorship programs that help Black men get good-paying jobs in high-demand industries and lead their communities, including pathways to become teachers.

(3) Supporting a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency and other digital assets so Black men who invest in and own these assets are protected.

(4) Launching a National Health Equity Initiative focused on Black Men that addresses sickle cell disease, diabetes, mental health, prostate cancer, and other health challenges that disproportionately impact them.

(5) Legalizing recreational marijuana and creating opportunities for Black Americans to succeed in this new industry.

But a number of the policy positions touted by Harris were immediately met with the reality of the U.S. Constitution and the illegality of loan discrimination based on race. 

Now, the Harris campaign is backtracking.

"While Harris’s rhetoric suggests she will provide such benefits specifically to Black men and women, it turns out that the words “and others” are doing a ton of work: The campaign says that the programs listed under the Black men agenda will be open to all Americans on a race-neutral basis," the Wall Street Journal reports.

Meanwhile, support for Harris remains at levels lower than needed to beat former President Donald Trump in November. 

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