Harris vows crypto regulation in outreach to Black Americans
As the upcoming Unites States presidential elections are just around the block, Kamala Harris is ramping up her outreach to Black Americans.
Harris, during her recent campaign, has pledged to support regulation of the crypto industry to give more investment certainty to the 20 percent of Black Americans who own or have previously owned digital assets. She said, “We will build a future where we have what I call an opportunity economy, where everyone can compete and have a real chance to not just to get by, but to get ahead.”
“Vice President Harris knows that more than 20 percent of Black Americans own or have owned cryptocurrency assets, which is why her plans will make sure owners of and investors in digital assets benefit from a regulatory framework so that Black men and others who participate in this market are protected,” a press release said.
Harris “appreciates the ways in which new technologies can broaden access to banking and financial services,” the document read. This comes as a poll finds that Republican candidate Donald Trump is gaining support among Black voters.
Poll results
According to a New York Times-Siena College poll, about 15 percent of Black voters planned to vote for Trump in this election, a 6 percentage points rise from 2020. Trump, with his election stance mostly alienating women, has actively sought to court Black men.
Turning her attention to gain support from Black men comes as Trump is cutting into Democrats’ support among a key voting bloc.
Harris also proposed a new program to provide loans to start businesses for Black entrepreneurs and others who have had to face issues in access to financing. According to a campaign outline, the plan would provide 1 million loans that are fully forgivable up to $20,000.
The Democratic nominee plans to make sure Black Americans are able to start a business and access jobs in the burgeoning cannabis industry, while vowing to work with the Congress to legalise recreational marijuana.
Harris intends to build an economy “where Black men are equipped with the tools to thrive: to buy a home, provide for our families, start a business and build wealth,” said former Representative Cedric Richmond, a Louisiana Democrat and co-chair of the Harris-Walz campaign. “Donald Trump could care less about equipping hardworking Americans with the tools needed to get ahead.”
Harris’ allies concern
Harris’ supporters have expressed their worries about Trump’s politics enticing Black voters. “Yes, I am concerned about the Black men staying home or voting for Trump,” Representative Jim Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat, said in an interview. Adding, “But my concerns don’t tend to keep me from being energetic about this campaign.”
While Harris is polling better than Joe Biden did before he dropped out of the election race in July, the tight margins of losing out their votes have the faction worried.
