During Philly visit, President Biden launches campaign aimed at Black voters

During their visit to Philadelphia on Wednesday, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris launched a campaign that aims to invest in Black student organizations, community groups and faith centers across the country.

“Today, Team Biden-Harris is launching Black Voters for Biden Harris, a national organizing program to bolster our continued historic investments in outreach to the backbone of the Biden-Harris coalition – Black voters,” a spokesperson for Biden wrote. “These voters were instrumental in electing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in 2020, paving the way for the Biden-Harris Administration to deliver a record low Black unemployment rate, Black wealth increased by 60%, more Black Americans with health care coverage than ever before, and billions forgiven in student loan debt that disproportionately impacts Black borrowers. Now, these same voters will be critical to defeating Trump’s racist and toxic agenda at the ballot box – again.”

President Biden and Vice President Harris launched the campaign during a rally that began at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 29, at Girard College, an independent college preparatory five-day boarding school on 2101 South College Avenue in Philadelphia. Black leaders from across the country -- including Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and Pennsylvania Lt, Gov. Austin Davis -- attended the event, along with local supporters, volunteers and Philadelphia-area influencers.

Biden then attended a small business event with the Black Chamber of Commerce at SOUTH Restaurant and Jazz Club. During the event, the president discussed his administration’s “commitment to increasing Black wealth.” Finally, Biden attended an event with national organizations and Philly community members that focused on direct voter contact.

According to a campaign spokesperson, “Black Voters for Biden Harris” will partner with various organizations throughout the summer to increase outreach to Black voters in key states across the country. The campaign will also collaborate with groups on voter education and registration activations as well as strengthen voter protection efforts to “safeguard the Black vote from continued MAGA attacks.”

The campaign will also hold press events and community conversations in various battleground states. On June 1 and June 2, the campaign will hold a Black church engagement event in Arizona, open new offices throughout Georgia, host a block party-style celebration in Nevada and hold community hub events across barbershops and hair salons in Michigan.

On Thursday, May 30, Biden and Harris will also host a nationwide stakeholder call with thousands of supporters with the goal of building a “network of trusted messengers within Black communities across the country.”

Earlier in May, the president kicked off a series of public speeches in which he directly pitched Black voters. In an April NBC News poll, Biden led Donald Trump 71% to 13% among Black voters though the margin was reduced from his 87% to 12% advantage in exit polls from four years ago.

Recent polls also appear to show diminished enthusiasm from the Black community with 59% of Black voters saying they had a high interest in the 2024 election compared to 74% of Black voters who expressed high interest in the 2020 election at a similar point in the race.

Republican National Committee spokesperson Rachel Lee released a statement to NBC10 on Biden's scheduled rally and campaign.

"Joe Biden’s approval rating is underwater in Pennsylvania, and he knows it," Lee wrote. "Despite Biden and Harris’s best attempts to gaslight Keystone State voters, they know exactly who is to blame for soaring costs, a spiraling border crisis, and staggering crime rates across the country.” 

Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Lawrence Tabas echoed some of those same sentiments about consumer costs:

"If he wasn’t so hopelessly out of touch, Biden would recognize the toll his inflation is taking on Pennsylvania consumers, who can’t afford the same basic necessities they could before he became President," Tabas said in a written statement shared with NBC10. "Pennsylvanians need affordable groceries to put on the table tonight, affordable gas to get to work in the morning — and relief from relentless price gouging. Joe Biden is clearly the wrong man for the job."

Philly reverend and councilmember react to Biden’s campaign

Reverend Mark Tyler, the pastor of Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church attended Wednesday’s event at Girard College.

Rev. Tyler told NBC10 Biden’s visit to Girard College is significant and “speaks volumes,” describing the school as a place that’s “still very much a part of the epicenter of Black life in Philadelphia.”

Tyler also discussed what the Biden administration needs to do to garner more support from the Black community.

“I think the campaign first of all needs to highlight things that it has done for voters of color,” he said.

Rev. Tyler also cited Biden’s record in appointing Black judges as well as his push for student loan forgiveness.

“No one can dispute that a significant number of people have seen the elimination of student loan debt and decrease in student loan debt,” Rev. Tyler said.

Tyler told NBC10 he has trust in Black voters and that they’ve shown, “we can vote for the things that are most important in the present and the long term.”

“We’re not voting for perfect, we’re voting for the best choice for us,” Tyler said. “I’m pushing for Biden and telling everybody to vote for Biden because I’m also concerned about my new grandchild and the world he will live in and his children and their children will live in.”

Philadelphia councilmember Isaiah Thomas told NBC10 also attended Wednesday’s event. Thomas is among the group of Black male councilmembers who launched “Black Men Vote,” an initiative to register or get 2,024 Black men to commit to voting in the 2024 election that particularly focuses on Black men between the ages of 18 and 40. Thomas said the effort has been a “rollercoaster” so far and he’s heard “some resistance,” among potential voters as well as misinformation and lines repeated from advertisements.  

“It’s been a mixed bag,” Thomas said. “Every time I go on social media, I’m trying to watch a game at night. I try to listen to some music or some YouTube or something like that, it’s everywhere. I’m always getting bombarded with how bad Biden is.”

As for what Biden and Harris need to do to push back, Thomas believes they don’t necessarily need to change their approach but instead need more frequent messaging to get through. Thomas said it’s too early to say if there are real concerns from the Biden administration about having enough support from the Black community. He also believes the president and vice president should discuss schools, violence, Black prosperity, Black wealth, federal incentives for Black-owned businesses, the overdose crisis, police reform and reparations during Wednesday’s campaign rally.