NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Vice President Kamala Harris joined the CEO of the Essence Festival of Culture for a forum as part of a push by the Biden-Harris campaign to reach Black voters as the presidential election nears.
Harris spoke to voters about the election, calling it “the most significant election of our lifetime.”
“There has been a full-on intentional attack against hard-fought, hard-won freedoms and rights. We each have the power to decide what kind of country we want to live in,” said Harris.
Although this is Harris’s third Essence Fest appearance in a row, the visit comes after multiple polls show President Joe Biden trailing slightly behind former President Donald Trump.
“You have the former president, who is running to become president again, who has openly talked about his admiration of dictators and his intention to be a dictator on day one. Who has talked about being proud of taking from the women of America a most fundamental right to make decisions about your own body,” said Harris.
Touching on the overturning of Roe v. Wade and women’s rights to their own bodies, the vice president emphasized the disproportionate rate of maternal mortality among Black women, especially in the South.
“Except for the state of Virginia, every state has an abortion ban. What I find hypocrisy on hypocrisy by some of these extremists. The same ones saying they are passing these abortion bans because they care about women and children but have been completely silent on the issue of Black maternal mortality,” said Harris.
Reiterating how the Biden administration has lowered student debt and the price of insulin and is working to have medical debt not count against a person’s financial score. Speaking to the crowd, Harris explained if Biden is reelected much more is to come.
“What we intend to do to raise federal minimum wage and make affordable childcare a reality for all families. That if you are the first generation to seek home ownership, you’ll get a $25,000 tax credit,” said Harris.
The forum left some attendees feeling optimistic about the upcoming election.
“Inspiring to see her, and you could see that she really felt and believed what she was saying, and her background exhibited the work that she has done,” said an attendee.
“So happy to hear her speak about women’s rights because it’s so very wonderful to know that we had women rights and now hopefully we will continue to get them back,” said an attendee.
Harris informed the crowd that she picked up Tasso and andouille sausage in New Orleans to take back to Washington, D.C.
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