In case you missed it, the DNC commemorated Black History Month by deepening ongoing efforts to engage Black voters across the country, and highlighting how President Biden and Vice President Haris are delivering for Black communities. DNC Chair Jaime Harrison authored an op-ed and took to the airwaves in key battleground states to discuss the Biden-Harris administration’s promises kept to Black Americans. The DNC also launched a series of paid media campaigns to reach Black voters through print, radio, digital, and campus advertising. 

DNC Chair Jaime Harrison spoke with Black radio outlets in key battleground states to discuss how the Biden-Harris administration is delivering for Black Americans and highlight the stakes of the election: 

The Steve Harvey Morning Show: “Joe Biden’s mission isn’t about himself. It’s about the American people, and particularly the Black folks who’ve helped him get into this position. And he’s shown not through his words, but through his actions, that he sees us, that he values us, and that he’s fighting for us. And I believe he needs to get the opportunity to finish the job.”

In Georgia: Big Tigger Morning Show: “This is a man who actually values us, meaning Black folks in this community. First thing that [President Biden] did when he won the nomination — he appointed a Black woman to be his vice president. Next thing he did was appointed a Black woman to be on the United States Supreme Court. No other president has ever done that. In the 248-year history of this country, there have only been 98 Black women to ever sit on the federal bench. In Joe Biden’s three years, he’s appointed 35 Black women to sit on the bench.”

In Wisconsin: 101.7 The Truth: “This is a president that changed the presidential primary calendar, which no other president ever did. … Now, this calendar starts in South Carolina, where 40% of enslaved people came to this country, where 90% of Black folks in this country can trace one ancestor back to South Carolina. So instead of talking about ethanol, and all of these other things, we’re going to talk about Black infant mortality rate. We’re going to talk about HBCUs. We’re going to talk about, you know, Black veterans and Black farmers and all of the issues that impact us. So hands that used to pick cotton are now picking presidents, and we’re the first in line instead of being at the back of the line.”

In Pennsylvania: WURD: “People talked about the internet and bringing it into communities. Well, this President has actually done it. $1.8 billion, almost $15 billion in terms of infrastructure and climate projects, many of them ripping out lead pipes that are in Black communities. Roads, bridges, making sure that we are sensitive to the communities that have been left out historically.”

The DNC announced a series of ad buys to reach Black voters, including through print, digital, and radio, along with a campus ad campaign in key battleground states. 

South Carolina Daily Gazette: National Democrats launch ad blitz in SC to encourage primary voting. “Democrats are launching a ‘six-figure’ advertising campaign aimed at energizing Black, rural and young South Carolinians to vote in the first primary of 2024 with President Joe Biden on the ballot, according to an announcement given first to the SC Daily Gazette. The purchase of radio, print, digital and outdoor advertising is part of the Democratic National Committee’s earliest-ever spending to reach the targeted voters during a presidential election, according to the Friday release.”

NBC News: DNC launches ad campaigns in South Carolina and Nevada targeting minority voters. “In South Carolina, the radio spots will target Black voters, airing on 43 Black-focused radio stations in 10 media markets and reaching potentially hundreds of thousands of voters, a DNC official said. In one radio spot, Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., calls on Democrats to send MAGA Republicans a message that they reject their agenda. In another, Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison touts fighting for student loan debt relief and protecting voting rights.”

The Root: EXCLUSIVE: New Biden-Harris HBCU Campaign Ad Says Republicans Are ‘White-Washing American History. “The Root has exclusively learned that the Democratic National Committee will be running advertisements across 15 historically Black colleges and universities in battleground states during Black History Month. … The new slate of ads will focus on Biden administration accomplishments Democrats hope will land well with younger Black voters — including the $137 billion in student debt cancellation and the administration’s $7 billion investment in HBCUs.” 

The DNC continued to highlight the Biden-Harris administration’s promises kept to Black communities: 

The 19th News: For the first time, Black women are leading Democrats in early primary states. “For the next cycle, Biden and the Democratic National Committee rearranged the Democratic primary calendar to reflect the diversity of the Democratic electorate, putting South Carolina first, followed by Nevada on Tuesday and Michigan on February 27. And for the first time, Black women are leading all three of these Democratic state parties … Christale Spain in South Carolina, Daniele Monroe-Moreno in Nevada and Lavora Barnes in Michigan are all the first Black women to be party chairs in their states — raising money and serving as the Democrats’ public face.” 

The Root: Op-Ed by DNC Chair Jaime Harrison: Democrats’ Historic SC Primary is A Promise Kept to Black Voters. 

[Jaime Harrison, 2/3/24]

• Under Democrats’ leadership, the economy is growing from the middle out and the bottom up, with a 60% increase in Black wealth from before the pandemic, Black businesses starting up at their fastest rate in 30 years, and Black unemployment hitting record lows. 
• The foundations of economic opportunity for our community, HBCUs, are investing in the next generation thanks to billions of dollars of investment. The weight of student loan debt, which disproportionately plagues Black families, has been lifted from the shoulders of millions of Americans, with nearly $137 billion dollars forgiven already – no thanks to Republicans who have tried at every turn to halt this effort.
• If the last few election cycles have taught us anything, it’s that it isn’t enough to parachute into communities on Election Day asking for votes. We have to show up every day and show folks that Democrats across the country are delivering historic progress for them – and that is exactly what I have been doing as the head of the Democratic National Committee. 
• I’ve spent the last three years in barbershops, beauty salons, and communities all across the country, meeting folks where they are and letting them know that Democrats are the only party fighting for them. It is why the DNC announced a historic six-figure ad buy targeting Black voters in South Carolina, investing earlier than ever. And it’s why, as Democrats, we’re investing our time, our energy, and our resources into ensuring that Black voters in South Carolina can make their voices heard first.