ATLANTA – Donald Trump’s U.S. presidential election victory has sent shockwaves through Black American communities, which voted overwhelmingly for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris despite a campaign by her Republican rival to court Black men. While Trump made gains among Black Americans in North Carolina and some in the community celebrated his win, nationally his vote share among Black voters was unchanged in the Tuesday vote from 2020, according to an exit poll conducted by Edison Research, which showed a much larger swing towards Trump among Hispanic voters.

Black voters were important to President Joe Biden’s victory over Trump in 2020, when Harris was also elected as the first Black and first Asian-American U.S. vice president. Had she won on Tuesday, Harris would have become the United States’ first woman president. A majority of the two dozen Black Americans who spoke to Reuters for this story said they feared a second Trump term, including a rollback of civil rights after his pledge to end federal diversity and inclusion programs.

Many said his rhetoric, including racist and sexist language, proved he does not have the best interests of Black Americans at heart. Mary Spencer, 72, a retired nurse and educator in Oak Creek, in swing state Wisconsin, was dismayed by Trump’s victory. She said Trump’s opinion of Black people was condescending. “Because that’s what he thinks of us – that we only strive to do the jobs that (illegal) immigrants come to do – which he identifies as housekeeping or working on landscape projects. Things that don’t require much skill or education.” At an event with Black journalists in July, Trump said immigrants were taking “Black jobs”, reinforcing racist stereotypes about the kinds of work Black Americans do.

Trump denies he is racist. He says his economic agenda will lower taxes, housing costs, and boost job creation for all Americans, including Black Americans. His campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Katrena Holmes, 51, a Black entrepreneur from Riverdale, Georgia, voted for Harris, hoping she would unify the country and reduce racial inequities. A Trump victory threatens to arrest progress on closing those gaps, given his policy agenda and rhetoric, she said. (Reuters)

Photo: Attendees react to early election results at Democratic presidential nominee U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ election night rally during the 2024 U.S. presidential election, at Howard University, in Washington. (Reuters)…[+]