Obama Joins Kamala Harris in Swing-State Campaign Blitz
By Kierra Frasier Kamala Harris was among Barack Obama’s earliest supporters in 2008, knocking on doors and raising money to help propel him to a two-term presidency. Now, he’s returning the favor. The former president will appear Thursday at an event in the Pittsburgh area, the start of what will be part of a swing-state “blitz” through Election Day, said a senior campaign official, granted anonymity to discuss the schedule ahead of the announcement. Obama’s role may have been expected after his glowing remarks about her at this summer’s Democratic National Convention. “Kamala Harris is ready for the job,” he
Harris Visits Georgia, Promises Long-Term Hurricane Aid
By Megan Messerly Kamala Harris, surveying the wreckage of Hurricane Helene in a swing state on Wednesday, offered a glimpse of how she might fulfill the role of consoler-in-chief. Against a backdrop of felled trees in Augusta, Georgia, the vice president telegraphed solidarity as she spoke about the assistance the administration is providing to communities devastated by the severe weather that tore through the southeastern United States last weekend. She thanked local emergency responders for stepping up, even as their homes and communities have been destroyed. The Democratic nominee’s approach offered a stark contrast to the overtly political posture Donald Trump took
New Voting Laws Could Suppress Student Turnout in 2024
By Johanna Alonso In the last presidential election, an out-of-state student going to college in Ohio wouldn’t have to do much to vote in the state beyond registering and bringing proof of residence—a bank statement, a utility bill or even a paycheck listing their Ohio address—to the polls. Some campuses ran buses all day to take students to voting places, making it considerably more comfortable than walking through the November cold. This year, things will be drastically different. Thanks to a 2023 law, the Republican-sponsored HB 458, Ohio’s out-of-state students can no longer use those documents to prove their residency for
Vote HBCU Tour Mobilizes Black Student Voters in 2024
By Sara Weissman Last week, Tevon Blair went to Yard Fest—a celebratory event for freshmen at Virginia State University—armed with a tent, a table, a photo booth and games like Jenga and Connect Four. He wanted to create what felt like a block party, in hopes of energizing and informing students at the historically Black university about the voting process. University cheerleaders performed. Members of the Divine Nine—historically Black fraternities and sororities—did signature step routines. Thousands of students turned up, according to Blair, and at least 77 registered to vote. A few dozen students even stuck around for a panel
Trump Criticizes Biden, Plans Georgia Visit After Helene
By Kimberly Leonard Former President Donald Trump is making Hurricane Helene into a campaign issue, planning a stop in storm-ravaged, battleground Georgia on Monday and criticizing the Biden administration’s response with just weeks left until the November election. During a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, Trump accused President Joe Biden of “sleeping” at his beach house in Delaware and dragged Vice President Kamala Harris for holding fundraising events in California over the weekend “when big parts of our country have been devastated by that massive hurricane.” At least 84 people have been killed from Hurricane Helene. The storm made
Kamala Harris, Tim Walz Launch HBCU Homecoming Tour 2024
By Jasmine Desme In an effort to reach more young Black voters ahead of election day, Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz have kicked off their Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Homecoming Tour. They’re targeting institutions in the key battleground states. With less than 40 days to go until the vote is in for the next President of the United States, Harris and Trump have been fighting fiercely to win over the undecided voters in the swing states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Nevada. Both candidates have recognized the key to winning the
Kamala Harris Outlines $100B Economic Vision in PA Speech
By Deepa Shivaram and Alejandra Marquez Janse Vice President Harris gave the lengthiest economic speech of her campaign on Wednesday, describing what she called a “pragmatic” vision that would work with the private sector to help grow opportunities for the middle class. In Pittsburgh — a city known for its steel industry in a state seen as key to the upcoming presidential election — Harris talked about plans to invest in new technologies like artificial intelligence and blockchain, as well as ideas to double the number of apprenticeships and reform tax laws to make it easier to create profit-sharing plans.
UMES Renews Scholarship for Wor-Wic Community College Grads
Courtesy of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore The University of Maryland Eastern Shore, a historically Black institution, has recently renewed a scholarship program dedicated to students from Wor-Wic Community College in Salisbury, Maryland. The scholarship agreement aims to provide a financial incentive for Wor-Wic students to attend the HBCU upon completing their associate’s degree. As part of the agreement, the application fee is waived for all Wor-Wic students applying to UMES. For those students who are accepted to UMES, each will be provided with $3,500 annually to support their in-state tuition for up to six semesters of study at
Trump Pledges U.S. Manufacturing Revival, Slams Harris
By Irene Sentner, Politico Former President Donald Trump promised Tuesday that if elected, the U.S. will “take other countries’ jobs,” laying out a plan for a “manufacturing renaissance” by offering “the lowest taxes, the lowest energy costs [and] the lowest regulatory burden” to companies that manufacture products in the U.S. Speaking to a crowd in Savannah, Georgia, Trump previewed a sprawling manufacturing overhaul including special federal zones with “ultra low taxes and regulations,” a “manufacturing ambassador” tasked with convincing major manufacturers to move to America, and massive deregulation — all aimed at “relocating entire industries” into the U.S. “You will
Can America Elect Kamala Harris as Its First Woman President?
By D. Kevin McNeir Special to the AFRO Despite the lofty ideas and goals that the founding fathers and their colleagues espoused after the 13 colonies declared their independence from England and created both an alternative form of government and a new country, Americans have always wrestled with the paradox of claiming to be “the land of the free” while only guaranteeing its rights and privileges to a limited few. In its early years, that meant White, property-owning men. As time evolved and perspectives changed, others would gain access to similar rights, regardless of race, religion, economic status or gender.
