Black Women- America’s Scapegoat: Kamala Harris, Ambivalence Among Black Voters, and Perpetuating Misogynoir
Malcolm X once said, “the most disrespected in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman”. The 2024 Presidential Election is just another form of ‘misogynoir’- the term coined by Black feminist writer Moya Bailey used to describe hatred, mistreatment, and disrespect towards Black women.
When Barack Obama ran for his historical presidency in 2008, many groups of Black women supported him. Much like throughout history, Black women have been on the frontlines of change. But seldom have they gotten the same advocacy in return. 2024 Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and her low support among Black voters suggests not only a clear case of misogynoir and scapegoating but also a strong case of intercommunal hatred within the Black community.
Writer Martha McHardy, in her 2024 article for Newsweek, “How Kamala Harris Can Win Back Black Voters”, writes, “Polling from the Alliance for Black Equality indicates that 10 percent of Black voters are still undecided, with less than 20 days to go until the election. It also shows that Harris is trailing behind her predecessors among Black voters, with 73 percent of the demographic supporting her, compared to 88 percent for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and 87 percent for Joe Biden in 2020.” Data shows that Harris’s numbers are particularly low among Black men, ranging from millennial to Gen Z.
Should someone be voted for because of their race? No. Should someone be voted for because of their gender? No. Should someone be voted for because not only have they shown their willingness to fight to protect the rights for not only Black Americans but all Americans? Yes. Then why is a politician like Kamala Harris such a polarizing figure? Because Black women are the scapegoats of America.
At the epicenter of racism and sexism, and ruled by patriarchy, the experience of a Black woman is one of great under utilization and dehumanization. Despite being accomplished, vastly educated, and fiercely independent, Black women fall under a respectability politics thinly disguised as hatred. Some Black men see Black women as a threat and they are using this as a means for not voting for Kamala Harris. Moreover, much is to be seen on how the 2024 Presidential Election will change how Black women are protected and respected moving forward.
