Former President Barack Obama called into the weekly “Win With Black Men” organizing meeting Sunday to thank the group for its work and to lean on its members to continue their efforts in the vital days ahead.
Obama said he was especially concerned about a sense of complacency he hears in some corners and asked the men on the call, whom he described as “the most credible messengers,” to relay that politics doesn’t change people’s reality overnight.
Obama said he was hearing from a lot of men, “‘What does it matter? Because the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, it doesn’t make any difference. Things don’t change in my neighborhood, people are still getting shot. People still don’t have jobs. There’s still disinvestment.’”
“What a president can do is make things better or make things worse,” he said.
Obama’s appearance on the call comes as Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has underperformed with Black men in the polls, relative to Joe Biden in 2020.
Obama said Trump is in no position to represent Black men because he doesn’t see them or respect them.
“Donald Trump has shown utter disrespect and disregard for our communities, and for Black men specifically, throughout his career,” he said.
At a recent stop in Pittsburgh, Obama received mixed reviews for a firm message he sent to Black men considering supporting Trump, telling them it’s “not acceptable” to sit this election out. He did not repeat those concerns on Sunday’s call.
