As Vice President Kamala Harris prepares for the upcoming November 2024 election, her influence is resonating powerfully with young Black women voters.
According to a report by The Atlanta Voice, Harris’s campaign has been credited with inspiring a 175% increase in voter registration among young Black women across 13 key battleground states.
This significant rise nearly triples the rate from the 2020 presidential election between President Joe Biden and Donald J. Trump. In general, Black women’s voter registration has increased by 98%, while Black voter registration overall has surged by 85%, according to data from TargetSmart.
In the 24 hours following the announcement that Harris would replace Biden on the November ballot, Black women contributed $1.3 million to her campaign, showcasing their growing political power.
Aimee Allison, a regular participant in the #WinWithBlackWomen network, emphasized the importance of this community.
“We’re beautiful, we’re strong, we’re capable,” Allison said. “We have incredible power in this group.”
Harris’s impact on Black students and their civic engagement has been notable since she was sworn in as the nation’s first Black and South Asian woman Vice President in 2021.
A 2022 Child Trends report revealed that Black students are more likely than their peers to express interest in civic engagement, with racism experiences driving this data.
Many young Black women have utilized social media to promote political awareness and activism among their peers.
Hilary Wilson, an education doctoral student from Louisiana, noted the potential ripple effects of this political engagement.
“As these young girls and women continue to assert their political power, their influence could extend into shaping educational policies,” she said.
With Kamala Harris on the ballot, the potential for young Black women to shape the outcome of the 2024 presidential election has never been more apparent.
