Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
When William Lucy and Martin Luther King Jr. led thousands of Black Memphis sanitation workers on strike in 1968, Lucy’s powerful statement defined a movement: “I am a MAN.” The movement demanded respect, better pay, safer working conditions, and the same opportunities as white men for a better life.
The same fight continues today. I am a father of four beautiful children, a former airport worker, a union member and a disabled veteran (Army and Air Force National Guard). My journey hasn’t been easy. I’ve been homeless and jobless in the past. I know the pain of not being able to support myself or my family. No matter your background, where you work or where you live, Black men share the same priorities. We want a good-paying job that allows us to support our families, enjoy our time off and be respected in our workplaces and communities. It’s that simple.
So, in this election, I am voting for leadership that will champion issues that working Black men like me face and the opportunities we need to build our power to fight for the future that we want to create. It’s not about handouts, it’s about opportunities. This is why I’m all in for Vice President Kamala Harris.
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For me and other Black male union members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), we have looked at the facts and the choice is clear. We are all in for Vice President Harris, Governor Walz and other pro-labor candidates. We are knocking on doors, making calls and having real conversations with voters about why working people — and Black men in particular — should stand with Vice President Harris.
Vice President Harris’ Opportunity Economy policy agenda is just what working families need. It includes increasing affordable housing, protecting workers’ rights, decreasing costs for everyday items, improving our care system and protecting our environment. All of these measures are important to me. But then she took it a step further. She delivered on a request many Black men have been demanding: a plan for us in the Opportunity Economy that speaks specifically to our issues and struggles against inequity. Her plans to equip more Black men with the tools to achieve financial freedom, access more educational opportunities, and address health disparities is a game-changer.
There are a lot of things I like about Vice President Harris’ plan. It’s not a weak “concepts of a plan” like former President Trump talked about but is something real and doable. It shows she respects and understands working people. Plus, she has already laid the foundation and started the work to make good on these promises like improving access to good-paying jobs.
If you’re in doubt, I invite you to look at the facts and track records of these candidates.
In fact, here’s one for you.
Only one candidate has stood with working people on the picket line when they were on strike. That is Vice President Harris when she was a senator in 2019. I know how important it is to have that kind of support on the picket line. When I was a UAW member working at a Jeep manufacturing plant and my union went on strike, President Biden supported us, and we won. Vice President Harris supports workers like me. She has met with workers across industries from Starbucks to nursing homes, and walked a day in the shoes of care workers and security officers. She has fought for wage equity, to raise the federal minimum wage, and to protect workers’ rights to organize. Creating more good union jobs and increasing access to good jobs is a major part of her economic plan.
Then there is former President Trump — the man who took out a full-page ad in newspapers calling for the return of the death penalty for the Central Park Five, now the Exonerated Five. From gold sneakers to “rappers” at the RNC, Trump mocks working people, especially Black men. He has talked about firing striking workers who were demanding to be paid overtime. He gave massive handouts to corporations, millionaires and billionaires but increased taxes for the rest of us. And if that wasn’t bad enough, 2.7 million people lost their jobs during his presidency. The unemployment rate increased to 6.4%, ending his term with the worst jobs record since the Great Depression.
If re-elected, he would make things worse by implementing Project 2025, an extreme right-wing policy plan to dismantle the U.S. government, reverse human and civil rights and destroy democracy. This policy would double down on the evils of systemic racism; largely targeting Black men. This plan includes proposals to take away workers’ rights to unions, fair pay and overtime pay, end DEI initiatives and weaponize the Department of Justice.
For Black men, Vice President Harris is offering opportunities and pathways for a better future. Trump is offering Project 2025, which would set Black men back hundreds of years.
It’s your choice to make. Be smart about it.
I support Vice President Harris, but I’m not casting my vote simply for her. I am casting my vote for me and a better future for all Black men, my family and all working people.
We demand political leaders earn our votes and keep their promises. We don’t need or want a messiah or handouts; we want accountability and good leadership that will actually care, respect and work for the people. Based on the facts and track records, I’m confident that Vice President Harris will do just that.
Gregory Johnson is a former airport worker in Atlanta, a member of Workers United (an affiliate of SEIU), a former UAW member and a disabled veteran.
