The Root's 2020 Presidential Black Power Rankings: Harris Throws Black Voters Under the Bus(ing?)

[StarfishSaver]

9. I was disappointed he didn't go

The only reason it would have been awkward is if someone thinks that all black women think alike and assumed that his clash with Kamala Harris would mean black women would be inhospitable to him.

Black women are an important voting bloc and the Essence Festival is a huge opportunity.

Essence Magazine is far more than a fashion magazine and the Essence Festival is far more than a fashion event. It's a huge African American female thought leadership event with panel discussions, plenary sessions, etc. It's a BFD for black women across the country and has been for years.

I've worked on lots of campaigns and have been involved with many tough scheduling decisions - and lost a lot of battles about where the candidate should go on a given day. But I really wish that the people on his campaign who lobbied for him to attend the Essence Festival - and I'm sure there were - had won that particular battle. I think he missed a great hit.