VP Kamala Harris Addresses The Importance Of Black Male Educators During Philly Barbershop Visit

As part of her campaign outreach, Vice President Kamala Harris headed to Philly Cuts, a barbershop in Philadelphia, to connect with Black men. The candid conversation covered a range of issues critical to Black men, from criminal justice reform to economic empowerment and health disparities.

Harris addressed her background in criminal justice, emphasizing her early advocacy for reentry initiatives and a policy against jailing individuals for simple marijuana possession. “I was probably one of the first elected prosecutors in the country to say, we need to have reentry initiatives,” Harris said. She added, “Right now, I believe we need to just actually legalize the whole thing, and that’s part of my platform.”

The Vice President also highlighted alarming statistics regarding Black male representation in public schools and discussed the importance of incentives for recruiting Black educators. “Only 1% of teachers in public schools are Black men,” Harris shared, speaking to Shakur, a local dean of students who attended the discussion. "If a Black child has a Black teacher by the end of third grade, they're like 13% more likely to go to college," Harris added, emphasizing the societal benefits of investing in Black teachers.

Homeownership, a pressing concern for many Black families, was also discussed, with Harris addressing historic and ongoing discrimination. “Black families are 40% less likely to own their homes than others,” she stated, underscoring the impact of redlining and systemic racism. Harris mentioned her proposal of a $25,000 down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers as a step to rectify these inequalities.

Touching on health, Harris and attendees acknowledged the importance of breaking the stigma around discussing healthcare in Black communities. “For brothers, we’ll come in the barbershop, we’ll talk about everything else. But we won’t talk about healthcare,” one participant pointed out. Harris, who has personal experience with the impact of colon cancer, shared, “I lost my mother to colon cancer,” highlighting the need for early screening and increased awareness.

Throughout the conversation, Harris stressed the significance of voting, especially for Black men who may feel disillusioned by the political system. “When you don’t vote, those folks still get elected. You just don’t get to decide,” she reminded the audience. Harris expressed the need for Black men to have a say in the leaders shaping policies that impact their lives, urging them not to take themselves “out of the game.”

Check out the full discussion.