To commemorate the 58th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday,” when White state troopers attacked voting-rights demonstrators, Biden gave a speech in Selma, Alabama. After giving a speech in January at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, this was his second attempt to win over Black voters in less than two months.
. This is a time of choice, and we need everyone’s participation.
To revive his faltering bid for the Democratic nomination in 2020 and win crucial swing states like Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania on Election Day, Biden heavily relied on Black voter support. He has advocated for changes to the Democratic primary calendar that will make South Carolina the first state to vote. These changes will also move Georgia ahead of Super Tuesday, increasing the influence of Black voters in subsequent elections.
Taken together, the moves show that Biden — who conveyed 87% of the Dark vote in 2020 — perceives the significance that key Popularity based casting a ballot coalition will play in his impending bid briefly term.
Biden used Sunday’s speech to support his candidacy for president, placing the 1965 riot at Selma in the larger context of American history.
He talked about legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs, efforts to lessen gun violence, and his determination to try to pass new voting rights legislation. He also made fun of Republican Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, who has been in the news for excluding critical race theory from advanced placement courses in the state.
Biden stated, “The truth matters, regardless of what the other team is trying to hide.” Everyone ought to be aware of the truth about Selma, and we ought to learn everything—the good, the bad, and the truth about who we are as a nation.
However, Biden has come under fire for not keeping his campaign promises. His efforts to pass new legislation regarding police reform and voting rights have been unsuccessful. With Republicans in charge of the House, Democratic plans to increase voter participation are unlikely to become law before 2024.
The Supreme Court considered whether to uphold the president’s student loan forgiveness program, which has been a top priority for civil rights groups and is designed to provide low-income students with additional savings.
In a Quinnipiac poll conducted in January 2022, Biden’s approval rating among Black voters dropped to 61% in February. According to a more recent Quinnipiac poll, 28% of Black voters viewed him negatively. According to a poll conducted in October by Morning Consult, Black voters’ approval of Biden fell to 43% last year, which was only slightly higher than the average for voters in general.
Biden reminded the audience on Sunday, as he did in Atlanta, of his appointment of Ketanji Brown Jackson, who became the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court in April.
The movie “Till,” which tells the story of Mamie Till-Mobley and her son Emmett Till, a Black teenager who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955, was shown at the White House last month.
After the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, caused by the Norfolk Southern Corp., some members of the Republican Party attempted to exacerbate racial tensions by claiming that Biden had abandoned White, rural Americans during his visit.
In contrast, progressive Democrats have criticized Biden for declaring that he will not veto a measure to overturn a District of Columbia law that reduces the mandatory penalties for certain violent crimes like carjackings and robberies.
Biden had never been to Selma before as president.
The president’s involvement in politics had a strong connection to the civil rights movement, if you think about it.
