Kamala campaign clarifies 'Opportunity Agenda for Black Men' is open to 'others' as well

Kamala Harris has been trying to shore up votes among black men, a demographic she has been losing in polls. She went on the radio show The Breakfast Club with Charlamagne tha God, answering questions from black men about their economic and social concerns, and has been putting out policy proposals specifically catered to black men. After backlash, the campaign has walked back the notion that these are for black men only, saying that the plans and promises are for everyone.

The campaign's "Opportunity Agenda for Black Men" offers 1 million $20,000 loans "for Black entrepreneurs and others to start a business." The "and others" in that sentence does the heavy lifting of letting those who are not black know that they may also be eligible for the loans despite their skin color. The campaign, the Wall Street Journal reports, has said that "the programs listed under the Black men agenda will be open to all Americans on a race-neutral basis."

The Agenda also offers to "support education training, and mentorship programs that lead to good-paying jobs for Black men, including pathways to become teachers," and to "protect cryptocurrency investments so Black men who make them know their money is safe." The campaign insists that "Donald Trump is a serious threat to the lives of Black men," though that demographic has been leaning more in his direction.

Harris also announced plans to "launch a national health initiative focused on the illnesses that disproportionately impact Black men" and in a seemingly contradictory move to "legalize recreational marijuana and create opportunities for Black Americans to succeed in this new industry."

The campaign apparently said they were not trying to be misleading in creating an "Opportunity Agenda for Black Men" that was actually for everyone, but that the candidate came up with the idea after listening to "powerful stories from Black men about the biggest hurdles that still make it too difficult for them to get their businesses off the ground," per the campaign. However, they also said that the plans were an attempt to "reassure" black male voters that they are "valued and like they have a government that cares about them and their dreams."

On her radio appearance with Charlamagne tha God, Harris also offered a plan to consider reparations at the federal level to force white and non-black Americans to atone for slavery. It is unclear how a reparations plan could be open to everybody or how it could be legal given that it would be an attempt to dole out cash or government awards on the basis of skin color, penalizing one group and rewarding another.

The programs detailed by Harris seem clearly intended for black men specifically, but that would be entirely illegal. In recent years, under the current, conservative-leaning Supreme Court, many programs that have been implemented by progressive Democrats have been overturned. These include affirmative action programs by universities that give preference to certain racial groups over others in the application process. "Eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it," Chief Justice John Roberts said in the ruling.

Additionally, a program that was implemented by the Biden-Harris Department of Agriculture was struck down by courts because it favored black farmers over white farmers. The administration was sued and the judge ruled that it is not legal to attempt to atone for past racism by implementing racist policies in the present. 

"Black men deserve a president who will deliver on promises," the campaign says. "Vice President Harris knows that Black men have long felt that too often their voice in our political process has gone unheard and that there is so much untapped ambition and leadership within the Black male community. Black men and boys deserve a president who will provide the opportunity to unleash this talent and potential by removing historic barriers to wealth creation, education, employment, earnings, health, and improving the criminal justice system. Black men deserve a president who will deliver on promises and equip them with the tools and resources to make their aspirations a reality."