An interesting question has surfaced – Could Black men cause Kamala Harris to lose the election? This question generated a wide range of responses, most of them optimistically predicting that Kamala will prevail becoming the first female president.
Until recently, polls of Black men from various locations revealed that at least 20% of them were planning to vote for Donald Trump or were not going to vote at all. The reasons for this varied, but mostly a lot of them just don’t like her. Some attribute their opposition to misinformation about her former job as prosecutor in California. Others cite their allegiance to Donald Trump. And then there are those who flat out admit that men just don’t want to be led by a woman!
Actually, Black men are not the only ones who are reluctant to vote for Kamala. There are a number of the “undecided” who continue to question her; they claim they just don’t know her even after numerous rallies, a debate, and media interviews.
There are some good signs, though, and this includes the assertion, based on new polls, that the number of Black males who had not planned to vote for Kamala is decreasing. This may partially be due to former president Barack Obama who has jumped in to support Kamala and, while doing so, has criticized Trump and has chided Black men regarding their excuses for not supporting Kamala.
One important pundit has offered an interesting perspective on why some Black men oppose Kamala. He talked about how the Black cultural nationalism of the 1960s and 1970s was essentially a bastion of politicized masculinity. Women took a back seat to men in this movement even though, in many cases, women did a great deal of the work.
The movement was influenced by the poet and activist Imamu Amiri Baraka, who, at some point, changed his viewpoint. Previously, in Black cultural nationalism, patriarchy and manhood were linked. Baraka had a conversion of sorts and began to oppose this previous version of Black cultural nationalism.
On another note, Hip Hop did its part in politicizing Black men and promoting misogynistic principles. Actually, it was a component of Hip Hop that can be blamed for the most damage: gangsta’ rap. That genre routinely viewed women as objects to be used and scorned; where once people talked about love in popular music, gangsta’ rappers talked consistently of “b*tches” and “hoes.” Suddenly, there were no more love songs while denigrating images dominated this decidedly masculine movement.
Along with the debasement of women by gangsta’ rappers came the result that the Black family now ranks at the bottom of most demographic categories; Blacks have the most failed marriages, the most broken homes, the most children born out of wedlock, and more. A lot of this has transpired since the low moral aspect of life championed by gangsta’ rap has held sway.
All of these factors should be considered when observing the behavior of a certain class of Black men. Arguably, they are at the bottom of the totem pole in an America that has traditionally denigrated them. It’s no secret that they have been denied, in the words of a pundit, “the patriarchal privileges granted to white men.”
All of this may provide clues as to why Kamala Harris is facing the challenge of attracting Black male support. Moreover, Donald Trump is high on the list of avowed misogynists and, based on his behavior, he is also a man of low morals. Proponents of gangsta’ rap culture are likely enthralled by him because of the aforementioned traits. Whatever the case, it hurts to see Black men laud a man that is calling a Black woman the vile names that he has for Kamala. Our brothers should be better than this. Hopefully, the tide will turn and they will wake up and do the most logical thing, which is support Kamala Harris. To not do so is the act of working against themselves and the Black community! Aluta Continua.