By: Tarence Wheeler
I can’t speak for every single Black man in this country, but I can lay out the facts for my brothers here in Detroit.
Donald Trump is a lifelong racist. From discriminating against Black tenants in the 1970s to suggesting the Exonerated Five, formerly the Central Park Five, deserved the death penalty, Donald Trump is a fraud who only pretends to care about Black lives for our vote. And rather than addressing the actual systematic barriers and discrimination that Black men face — Donald Trump trivialized our experience with the criminal justice system. Let me be clear — we can’t elect Donald Trump as president again. We can’t be misled by his empty promises now or ever.
Black Americans have shed blood, sweat, and tears for the most basic rights in this country, from the right to vote to the right to walk down our streets. We can’t afford to go back to a president who embodies the deep seeds of racism in this country. We can’t afford to go back to a president who, rather than delivering for us, enacted policies that cost us our jobs while trying to take away our health care and giving tax cuts to billionaires over teachers.
Trump brags about being the NRA’s “biggest fan,” so it’s no surprise that in office, he oversaw the largest increase in murder in U.S. history and an increase in gun violence-related deaths, which we know directly affects the mortality rate of Black men in this country. Black men are one of the most consequential voting blocs in this election, and the stakes could not be higher. The foolishness that Trump and his MAGA cronies are pushing must be met with the truth.
At the barbershop, if someone asks, “What has Kamala Harris even done for me?” tell them about the $35 insulin cap she made possible for seniors, and how 2 million Michiganders can now get free vaccines and are paying less for their prescription drugs because she took on Big Pharma and cast the tie breaking vote for the Inflation Reduction Act.” When you’re talking to your young cousin and he says, “Harris hasn’t done anything for my generation,” remind him of the health care that he only has because of the Affordable Care Act that Vice President Harris has spent years protecting, while Trump tried dozens of times to rip it away.
Vice President Harris knows the struggles our communities faced and has made real progress for Black communities.
She’s helped create over 400,000 new jobs in Michigan alone over the past three and a half years, expanded affordable health care, and relieved student loan debt for millions of Americans. And the Biden-Harris administration has also tackled issues disproportionately impacting Black communities – from taking steps to reclassify marijuana, to passing the most significant gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years.
When I look around Detroit, I see what the Biden-Harris administration has accomplished for our community. I see the Black-owned small business boom. I see Black folks able to afford their life saving medications. And I see new good-paying jobs after the Big Three auto companies made investments here because of the administration’s Invest in America agenda.
A vote for Vice President Harris is a vote for the economic wellbeing of Black folks across our state and country. It’s a vote for someone who understands our communities and will give us a seat at the table, making sure our experiences are represented in everything from staff appointments to real policy implementation. And it’s a vote for a future of progress. A vote for Donald Trump is a vote for a racist man who would rather keep us down and drag our communities backwards than propel us forward.
This November, Black men have a responsibility to stand up at the ballot box and cast our votes for Vice President Harris. We have to vote like our lives depend on it, because they do.
Tarence Wheeler is the Founder and CEO of the Tarence Wheeler Foundation. A native Detroiter and former all-state basketball player, he played college basketball for the Arizona State Sun Devils. After playing professional basketball in South America, Wheeler returned to Detroit to begin his foundation. He consistently mentors 50 Detroit youth, helping them foster positive relationships with their community leaders and build promising futures.
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