Paid for by Biden for President.
As someone who’s been observing policies of the 2020 presidential candidates, as well as national news, my primary focus is police reform. After documenting several horrific instances of brutality across the country, I can confidently say that a shift in the justice system is needed immediately. With that, there needs to be a president who can go about creating the changes that I’d like to see. I’m not alone in these pleas—I know that a slew of other Black women are watching the injustices unfold and feeling the same way. This pushed me to seek out statistics that would get in touch with the truest needs of Black women and compare those concerns to what Vice President Joe Biden has in place.
Black women have been the key voting bloc for the Democratic Party for years now—over 65% of the 16 million eligible voters who identify as Black women are registered to vote, surpassing our male counterparts by 10%. The questions we asked survey participants addressed Black women’s thoughts and experiences ahead of the election—particularly police reform, climate change, the COVID-19 response, the responsibility of large tech companies and the wealthy. It’s important to not only ask for Black women to continue to hit the polls, but to ask which policies we care about the most and what return we want on our investment in the election.
When asked about the importance of addressing climate change, 73% of participants felt that it is a priority for them. Climate change encompasses air pollution, which affects people with asthma and respiratory issues, both of which are common in the Black community. The latter is scientifically connected to the global pandemic that’s disproportionately harming the Black community. So, by investing in a safer environment, we are taking better care of the American people who may come in contact with COVID-19.
The Biden Plan for Black America addresses air pollution directly, saying that, once elected, Vice President Biden will direct the Environmental Protection Agency and the Justice Department to pursue polluters to the fullest extent of the law. He will simultaneously seek to equip Black Americans to work in the growing clean energy economy, so that they are also able to financially benefit from the push to better care for the planet.
Since March, we’ve all been faced with the challenge of maintaining our households and businesses in the wake of COVID-19. It has been difficult to say the least, and unfortunately, Americans have only received one stimulus check in the 8 months since the lockdowns began. Due to this, 40% of the women included in our survey have not received any COVID-19–related aid, and 60% believe that the current administration has not prioritized efforts to curb the virus’s spread. On October 22nd, Biden shared a stimulus proposal of his own, saying that if he were currently in office, he would provide needed economic relief for families.
In addition to this, Vice President Biden would keep people employed by speeding up aid for businesses that pledge to keep workers on staff. For those who are laid off or cannot work due to their industry, Biden would like to ensure they receive unemployment benefits and other needed relief. Most importantly, his proposition includes the desire to make COVID-19 testing free and widely available, so that whether you’re working or at home, you can be aware of the precautions to take to protect yourself and others.
The results of some of the topics the participants weighed in on were unanimous. They agreed 100% that people making $400k+ should be taxed more. We are collectively aware of how the rich have assured that they maintain, and grow, their wealth in unfair ways, and it is time that they adhere to a system that does not reward this. Increased taxes for both big corporations and wealthy people making more than $400k have been proposed by Vice President Biden in his tax plan.
Vice President Biden wants to make “big corporations pay their fair share” and has suggested several measures to do so—including raising the corporate tax rate to 28% and penalizing those that create jobs overseas just to sell products back to America. He is dedicated to helping middle- and lower-class Americans, as he will not raise taxes for them at all.
With a wide range of topics on the table, it’s clear that these Black women value sustainable policy change in exchange for their vote this year. We are not looking to be solely praised for the way we show up for elections, but we want to be included in the discussions about the changes that we know to be necessary. Fortunately, Vice President Biden has concrete solutions in place for a number of our biggest concerns, proving that we are in fact included in his plans for a safer and more equal tomorrow.
Photo credit: Getty Images
