With the November election just months away, polling shows presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s support with younger Black voters lagging behind his popularity among older Black voters.
While polls show most young Black voters support the former vice president over Donald Trump, many are calling on political leaders to switch funding from local police to other community resources.
One among them is Perry Green, 34, of Alameda, California.
Green, who is Black, doesn’t believe Biden is listening to what young, Black Americans want and criticized him for not supporting the “defund the police” movement that many activists support.
“You got Black youth across the country, calling for defunding the police and thinking differently about law enforcement, and … a couple days later, in the midst of all the protests … [Biden’s] campaign says ‘Let’s spend more money on community policing,’” Green told USA Today. However, he added, if he was living in a swing state like Michigan or Pennsylvania, he would be voting for Biden.
Meanwhile, an analysis from the Democracy Fund + UCLA Nationscape project published nationally in May found that:
– 91% of Black voters 65 and up said they plan to vote for Biden.
– 68% of Black voters from ages 18 to 29 said they planned to vote for Biden – more than 20 percentage points fewer than Black voters 65 and older. In the 2016 election, Democrat Hillary Clinton drew 85% of young Black voter support, and won 93% of Black seniors.
– 13% of Black voters ages 18 to 29 said they plan to vote for Trump.