But as the women from Santa Fe, New Mexico, attended the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans this weekend, all four expressed varying enthusiasm for Biden, with some Democrats suggesting the 81-year-old president should withdraw from the race and let someone else run amid growing questions about his age and physical fitness.
Vice President Harris, who appeared at Essence Fest on Saturday, is one of the names most frequently mentioned as a possible successor. Cherice, 41, and her daughters are beaming.
“Obviously, I support them both. I would have been more excited if she had been the top candidate,” Sherris said. Bridgewater, 18, and Knox, 20, both nodded in agreement.
But while Mr Ryan, 61, praised Ms Harris and said he was excited by the prospect of a black woman president, he worried changing the candidate with four months to go was too risky.
“How many voters are actually going to support Kamala?” she asked.
Those fears were shared by some of the tens of thousands of black women who flocked to New Orleans from across the country for the massive annual celebration of black culture. Black women have long been, and likely will remain, the Democratic Party’s most dedicated and reliable voting bloc. It will be key to determining the winner of the 2024 election.
Polls have consistently shown Biden trailing Trump among black voters since the 2020 election. Maximizing the support of black voters and ensuring they turn out will be essential for Biden to win, or for Biden to win if Harris replaces him as the presidential nominee.
In a series of interviews, more than a dozen black women voters, young and old, said they were growing increasingly worried that Trump would retake the White House and that they still supported Biden, even though his shaky, halting performance in a debate late last month raised concerns across the party and intensified calls for him to step down.
But several acknowledged they would be more enthusiastic about Harris if she were the top candidate, describing her as a fresh face who could appeal to a new generation of voters and who could make history as the nation’s first Black and Asian American woman president.
Harris received rapturous applause from hundreds of black women during her speech on Saturday, but she wasn’t asked about or addressed the controversy surrounding Biden or his future and what it means to her. Instead, she explained why this is “the most important election of our lifetimes” and why Trump cannot be re-elected.
Still, while women say they like Harris and believe she is capable of being president, some worry that accusations of racism and sexism could derail her campaign and help secure Trump’s reelection.
“It’s hard enough to respect black people, and even harder to respect black women,” said Alexandria Henderson, 22, of Denver. “I’d be happy if she wins, but I’m worried the country isn’t ready yet.”
But while acknowledging that a Harris candidacy would surely face nasty attacks from Trump and his allies, who have already stepped up their attacks on Harris, many expressed frustration that the issue of whether a black woman could win the presidency was even being debated.
“Black women are top entrepreneurs. They’re leading the way in education and the economy, so I don’t think the question should be, ‘Can a black woman be president?'” says Lydia Myers, 42, a communications professional in Washington, D.C. “The question is, is she capable of running the country? Is she qualified?”
In Meyers’ view, Harris is “absolutely” qualified and “a better choice than Biden’s Republican challenger.”
Concerns about turnout among black voters
The turmoil engulfing the Democratic Party comes at a time when party officials were already worried about turnout among black voters, particularly black women.
A Washington Post/Ipsos poll of more than 1,300 black adults in April found that 62% of black Americans said they would definitely vote, down from 74% in June 2020.
The steepest decline in voting enthusiasm is among Black women, who helped put Biden in the White House four years ago: 61% of Black women say they will “definitely” vote in 2024, according to the poll, down from 80% in June 2020. The numbers are even more dire among Black women ages 18 to 39, who say their confidence in voting has fallen from 69% in 2020 to 39% this year, the poll said.
The generational divide was on full display at Essence Fest: Many older voters reaffirmed their support for Biden and defended his poor debate performance as a poor reflection of his strength as a candidate. But many younger women said they would vote for Biden if he remained in the race, but expressed hope that someone else would run.
“I’m a Democrat, I’m a loyal Democrat and I believe in Biden 100 percent,” said Holly Murphy, 57, of Augusta, Georgia. “I definitely have some concerns and I know things are uncertain right now, but I’ve always been told to pick whoever can win and I still think Biden is the best choice.”
Several women at the festival acknowledged they felt less enthusiastic to vote for Biden now than they did four years ago, when the country was in the midst of a deep reckoning on race and policing following the killing of George Floyd.
Now, the economy Uncertain rent, grocery costs, etc. That’s a big increase. Shaquayla Henderson, 33, of Dallas, said she grew up being taught Democrats were the party of low-income people, but sometimes she’s not sure she believes that anymore. Biden has implemented some policies she likes, like student loan forgiveness, but she says it’s hard to name others she’s passionate about.
“We don’t support Trump,” Henderson said, standing with her sister. But she’s also not happy with Biden — a concern that existed long before the debate — and she doesn’t know at this point who could successfully replace him.
She longs for a hopeful figure like Barack Obama, but isn’t sure Harris is that person. “You have to say, four years ago, black people supported Harris because she looked like us,” Henderson says. But she’s surprised by Harris’ lack of prominence in the administration. “At this point, what are you doing in the presidency to show that you’re on our side?” she says.
“It’s going to be a tough election.”
Throughout the festival, some attendees visibly grimaced when asked how they felt about the 2024 presidential election. motion.
Tijuana Richardson, 54, from Houston, said the debate was “painful to watch”, and recalled feeling “paralyzed” by Biden’s struggles and wanting to jump off her couch to help him through the television.
She recalled that Biden had pitched himself as a calm, steady force capable of overturning the chaos of Trump’s presidency in 2020. She worries that lingering questions about Biden’s health could erode public trust and open the door again to Trump, bringing back the daily stress she felt during his presidency over his chaotic approach to governing.
“If he continues to run, it’s going to be a tough election,” Richardson said of Biden. She pushed back against Democrats who say Harris can’t beat Trump. “She’s competent. She’s qualified,” she said. “If she wasn’t, Biden wouldn’t have picked her.”
Ms. Harris took the stage to Beyoncé’s “Freedom” on Saturday night and engaged in a “chief-to-chief” conversation with Essence President and CEO Caroline A. Wanga. Though Ms. Harris did not address calls for Biden to step down, the appearance showcased many of her strengths at this time.
While Biden mostly read short speeches from a teleprompter, Harris answered questions for 25 minutes. While Biden looked pale and frail throughout the debate, Harris was relaxed and energetic, smiling frequently, making eye contact with friendly audience members and highlighting her record. Whereas Biden struggled to articulate his case against Trump, Harris delivered it with the precision and sharpness of a seasoned prosecutor.
Asked to introduce herself, Harris smiled and simply said, “I’m the vice president of the United States.”
After the laughter and applause died down, she continued, “And I’m a wife. I have kids. I’m a godmother. I’m an aunt. I’m a best friend. I’m a great cook. … And I’m someone who fights for people. I care about people.”
Harris spoke glowingly about the accomplishments the Biden administration has made for Black Americans. Efforts to improve The health of Black mothers, reducing the cost of insulin and other prescription drugs, forgiving billions of dollars in student loan debt, and addressing housing costs and the housing shortage.
She acknowledged that politicians say every election is the most important, but argued that 2024 is the “most important election of our lifetimes.” She spoke about Trump’s praise of dictators, his promises of revenge against political opponents and last week’s Supreme Court decision that opened the door to expanded presidential immunity. She noted that Trump supports overturning Congress’ impeachment proceedings. Roe v. WadeHe said he was proud of “the fact that our daughters have fewer rights than their grandmothers.”
While some voters believe both candidates are too old and naive, Harris spoke in personal terms about the challenges she has faced as an ambitious woman of color.
“People around you will say, ‘It’s not your time. It’s not your turn. No one has done it like you’,” Harris says. “Don’t ever listen to those words.”
An older woman from the audience shouted “YES!”
