Black Mayors Gather In Support Of Biden

By: Jordan Meadows (Staff Writer)

A gathering of Black mayors took place in Durham on Saturday to rally support for the Biden-Harris administration’s reelection campaign.

Organized by the Biden-Harris campaign, the event brought together Black mayors from across North Carolina to emphasize the positive impact of Biden’s policies on their communities. Hosted by Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams, the meeting provided a platform for mayors to highlight the tangible benefits experienced under the current administration.

In his remarks, Williams emphasized the significant resources allocated to cities through Biden’s American Rescue Plan, highlighting its role in stabilizing local governments and supporting minority-owned businesses, such as the venue hosting the gathering.

“President Biden’s administration has made historic progress to bring Black communities back from the pandemic and build an economy from the bottom up and the middle out,” Williams said. “The record is clear. The fact is present. Under the Biden Administration, small Black businesses have thrived.”

Williams acknowledged the possibility of a Trump victory and said it was a reality that required Black voters to be “very uncomfortably intentional” in the coming months.

“There’s too much on the line to sit this out,” Williams said.

Support for the Biden-Harris ticket resonated strongly during the event, as mayors praised the administration’s accomplishments over the past three-and-a-half years. Other mayors echoed these sentiments, pointing to the Biden administration’s investments in infrastructure, healthcare, education, and small businesses as proof of its dedication to uplifting Black communities.

Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin compared his experiences working with both the Trump and Biden administrations, stressing the latter’s focus on addressing community needs rather than political expediency.

“I served as mayor under both President Biden and Donald Trump’s administrations, and I can tell you after my experience working with both, there is a clear right choice in this election, and that is President Biden,” Colvin said.

Like his colleagues, Colvin also worried that progress in numerous areas – from support for small businesses and HBCUs to environmental initiatives like the transition to electric vehicles and efforts to combat PFAS pollution – would be derailed if Trump somehow returned to the White House.

“While Trump was in office, we saw how life got worse for Black communities – Black unemployment went up and Black uninsured rates increased,” Ahoskie Mayor Weyling White said.

Mayor Van Johnson from Savannah, Georgia, also attended the event in Durham.

Johnson praised the crucial role of Black voters in securing victory for the Biden-Harris campaign in Georgia during the 2020 election. He highlighted the administration’s achievements in job growth, low unemployment rates, and initiatives promoting Black economic prosperity. Johnson cited significant increases in household wealth and reductions in poverty as evidence of this progress.

The event in Durham on Saturday follows a recent Biden-Harris campaign tour across Eastern North Carolina, aimed at securing the Black vote and establishing additional campaign offices in Rocky Mount and Smithfield.

Mayors and local community leaders described the Biden administration’s impact on the lives of Black voters, spanning economic improvements to increased access to healthcare while condemning what they perceive as Trump’s divisive rhetoric and policies.

Other notable attendees included Fletcher Mayor Preston Blakely, Knightdale Mayor Jessica Day, State Senator Natalie Murdock of Durham, U.S. Congresswoman Valerie Foushee, former Durham Mayor William Bell, Elm City Mayor Tawanda Moore, RaleighMayor Pro Tems Corey Branch and Durham Council Member Mark-Anthony Middleton.

The event was hosted by Durham’s Zweli’s and Beyu Caffe, as well as Paul’s Barbershop in Raleigh.

The gathering concluded with a call to action, urging Black voters to unite behind the Biden-Harris ticket to oppose the agenda put forth by Trump. The establishment of the Black Voters for Biden coalition further highlights the concerted effort to mobilize and empower Black voters ahead of the pivotal November election.

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