Opinion: Two Black men, 60 years apart, explain why they voted for Kamala Harris
Ronnie Gilliam, 82, voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and again in 2012. On Tuesday, he cast his vote for Kamala Harris, hoping she will become the first woman elected president of the United States, who is also of Black and South Asian descent.
"Voting was simple for me. She is intelligent, qualified, and dedicated to helping the poor and middle class," said Gilliam after casting his vote at Samuel Clemens Elementary School on Milwaukee's northwest side.
Gilliam, who is Black, said his vote was for himself and people coming up today.
"Our young people need role models, and Kamala Harris is someone they can look up to," he said.
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When Gilliam first voted for Obama in 2008, Timothy Austin was only 3. Austin, 19, who voted for the first time on Tuesday, said he chose Harris after researching the issues that mattered to him.
"For me, it was an easy decision. I appreciate her desire to support the working and middle class if elected. She aims to cut taxes for more than 100 million people, and as someone from the working class, that's something I can relate to," said Austin, who is Black.
Despite being six decades apart in age, both Gilliam and Austin voted for Harris, believing a return to a Trump administration is unacceptable. Their choice could have an outsized impact. As a swing state, Wisconsin has the potential to determine the next president, possibly by the narrowest of margins.
Black men courted by campaigns for their support
Both presidential campaigns have aggressively targeted Black men for their votes.
In several speeches across the country, Obama told Black men that it is unacceptable for them to abstain from this election because they might be hesitant to vote for Harris due to her gender.
"Part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren't feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you're coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that," Obama said during a speech in Pittsburgh
Orlando Owens , a Black Republican, said many African American men support Trump despite him being a convicted felon. Owens encouraged young Black and Hispanic residents in Milwaukee to vote for Donald Trump through his grassroots organization, "Project Move the Needle."
After speaking with Black men in Milwaukee, he found that many are dissatisfied with Democratic leadership and feel they were better off during Trump's presidency compared to the current leadership under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
Milwaukee has unfortunately been ranked last —50th out of 50— in African American well-being, according to Marc Levine, an emeritus professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Levine's report, " The 2024 Index of African American Well-Being ," reveals alarming conditions for Black residents in the city. Milwaukee ranks 48th or worse on 20 out of 44 indicators and is last or next to last on 14 indicators.
The city has the lowest median household income for Black residents and the highest Black poverty rate in the nation, along with the smallest percentage of African Americans holding a college degree. It also shows the most significant racial disparities in income, poverty, and employment among prime working-age males in the 50 largest metro areas.
Gilliam said he wasn't impressed by Trump's term and he has more confidence that Harris can improve conditions for African Americans in Wisconsin and throughout the U.S.
"We've seen what he's all about, and I won't go into all of those details, but I'll say it like this, I don't believe Trump genuinely cares about Black people," Gilliam said.
He anticipates a high voter turnout in the Black community because people understand the election's significance.
"Our freedom is in jeopardy, and it's important for people to recognize this," he said.
Austin, who works as a dishwasher, said he felt like his vote made a difference.
"I think many people my age understand that voting is important, but we don't believe that one vote will matter," he said.
Both candidates have been in Wisconsin weekly since the Democratic National Convention, underscoring the state's importance in determining the next president.
"I feel like my vote made a difference, but we will see," Austin said.
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