Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton is fighting to procure strong voting numbers among millennial minorities. In what seems to be a reoccurring theme in my prior blog posts, Clinton’s lack of substance regarding policies pertinent to young voters had turned off Black Live Matters supporters, like DeRay Mckesson. However, Mckesson now actively supports Clinton after a recent meeting in Cleveland. He stated that, “There was no platform the first time. There’s a platform now.” Burgeoning black support for Hillary has come either energetically, or pragmatically due to the enmity held for Donald Trump.
Clinton’s platform for young African Americans involves elements of controlling police violence and how to curtail bias while on duty, as well as legislation for racial profiling and job creation. Clinton has also been more successful in creating social events that cater to a targeted demographic, with rap superstar Jay-Z set to perform a “get out and vote” awareness concert. Hillary also stopped by the popular radio show “The Breakfast Club” and gave a shout out to the Howard University during their Homecoming celebration. A recent GenForward poll has 49 percent of African Americans claiming they will vote in the election; of the 49 percent, 80 percent openly support Clinton, with Trump only managing a meager 4 percent. However, her ground with black millennial felt short of once candidate Bernie Sanders, who held a substantial margin of 46 to 28 percent.
While Hillary has held solid ground among African Americans, she is also being aided by members of the hip-hop community. The “Anti-Trump” rhetoric created by numerous rappers has garnered improved support in the black community. For example, the expletive ridden and controversial song entitled “F*** Donald Trump” has received over ten million hits on YouTube, as well as thousands of derogatory remarks about the real estate mogul in the comments section. https://youtu.be/WkZ5e94QnWk With the election less than a week away, Hillary’s fight to procure black millennials is not one against Trump, but rather against third parties that can pull valuable votes away from major party candidates. With young black independent voters like Erica Mines voicing her concern that Clinton, “… is not someone who can be trusted.”, it shows that the former Secretary of State still has some work to do.
I found this article to be very interesting and informative. I agree with your last sentence, that Clinton still has a ways to go with the young black vote. If you compare her to Bernie or Obama, her approval is weak. There is less passion within her supporters. The way I see it, anti-Trump rhetoric will be more convincing to black millennials than pro-Clinton rhetoric, which is why songs like “F*** Donald Trump” have been very widely received. Support like this from the hip-hop community will certainly work in Hillary’s favor. Artists like Jay-Z are very influential icons to all millennials. Great article!
I found this article to be very well organized and professional. I agree that motivated black college students will greatly appreciate Jay-Z’s endorsement, although they prefer Obama and Bernie. Minorities are a big factor, and Bernie, Obama, and Jay-Z have rose up to persuade millennials to vote for Clinton.
This is an excellent article. The African-American presence in this election is undeniable, and the question of how to improve the inner cities is extremely controversial. With the rise of Black Lives Matter, our next president will absolutely face its toughest challenge trying to solve the inner city, and begin to end the divide between the races. Racial tensions have never been higher, and this will be the single greatest domestic issue at home these next four years.