Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
Earlier this year, the federal government canceled all of my student loan debt — that is over $275,000 in debt that I no longer have hanging around my neck, and I am not alone. But when you ask the average Black voter, especially here in Georgia, if they know about that, the answer, overwhelmingly, is “no.”
Same goes for other Biden administration policy wins that are bringing resources to Black communities — the Inflation Reduction Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and even the American Rescue Plan, which gave folks a $1,400 direct deposit to help make it through the pandemic.
Despite innumerable challenges moving key pieces of his agenda forward, the president has made significant progress on policies that will help Black communities. But if you ask a Black voter what Joe Biden has done for them, you’ll get side-eye and silence. They don’t know because the administration is not doing enough to tell them.
So, it’s not surprising to me that Joe Biden is losing support with Black voters. Like Janet Jackson asked years ago, we want to know, “What have you done for me lately?” Without hearing a clear answer from the president, Black voters are starting to sour on him. And because racism is real and scapegoating is easier than taking responsibility for your actions, I won’t be surprised when fingers point to Black voters rather than the president and his team. Apathy or laziness will be cited over the legitimate cynicism that too many Black voters feel because they think the Biden administration has done nothing for us.
But blaming Black voters is an all-too-easy copout. If the president wants to win next year, he needs Black voters. To get Black voters, he needs to address his communications problem.
I work in Georgia — a key battleground state — and research…
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