President Joe Biden touted his achievements for Black Americans and vowed to deliver on promises made ahead of his 2024 reelection bid.
“Thank you for all you’ve done for the country, and selfishly thank you for what you’ve done for me,” Biden said in an address to about 3,000 people at a Congressional Black Caucus Foundation dinner on Saturday in Washington. “We need to get the word out, on the promises made and the promises kept.
Vice President Kamala Harris, a former CBC member and senator from California, addressed her former colleagues and introduced Biden on stage.
Biden highlighted how his administration has lowered prescription drug prices, invested in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and was working to close the racial wealth gap and reduce the disparity in employment for Black Americans. He also said he has appointed more Black women federal appellate judges than any president in history.
Biden and Harris’ appearance at the dinner highlighted a key goal for their 2024 reelection campaign: rallying one of their most loyal voting blocs. That has taken on a new sense of urgency, with polls showing declining support for the president from voters of color.
Black voters’ energetic campaigning and votes were critical to Biden’s 2020 victory. On that campaign trail, Biden promised Black people he would deliver a raft of policies to advance racial equity — voting rights, criminal justice reform and more. But much of Biden’s agenda has been thwarted due to a divided Congress and legal challenges.
The White House has often highlighted economic data points, such as record-low unemployment for Black Americans, to help make the case that Biden is delivering for Black voters.
But surveys show Black Americans have become disillusioned with the president, as inflation takes a toll on their finances.
Biden holds a 72%-11% lead among Black voters in a hypothetical rematch with former President Donald Trump, according to a compilation of New York Times/Siena College polls over the past year. The president won 87% of Black voters in the 2020 election, exit polls showed.