Inside the efforts to reach young Black men who might stay home instead of voting

Dozens of Black motorcyclists drove through north and west Philadelphia over the weekend with a simple message for Black men: Go vote.

Dozens of Black motorcyclists drove through north and west Philadelphia over the weekend with a simple message for Black men: Go vote. The ride – a joint effort between Black Men Vote, Black Riders Vote and other local organizations – was one of several nonpartisan events held across the city in a bid to boost registration ahead of a Monday deadline and drive turnout ahead of Election Day, particularly in lower income communities where turnout tends to lag.  “Hopefully, they see us riding, they look up and see Black men and women on motorcycles, and they think, ‘If they can vote, maybe I should reconsider it as well,’” said Rev. Mark Kelly Tyler of the Mother Bethel AME Church, the head of the biking group. “People don’t think that Black bikers talk about voting, but when we sit around together and we hang out people are talking about the election, people are talking about issues.” In a city where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 6-to-1 and campaign signs for the vice president are sprinkled throughout residential neighborhoods, Kamala Harris’ challenge isn’t winning. The question is whether enough of her backers here, and in other Democratic strongholds like Pittsburgh, will show up in strong enough numbers to help mitigate former President Donald Trump’s support in the rural parts of the state. Younger Black men have received increased attention from the Harris campaign in recent days. Last week Harris unveiled an agenda for Black men, stressing parts of her platform that would specifically benefit those voters, and went on a media blitz that included interviews with the Shade Room and Charlamagne tha God. Elected officials and nonpartisan voter engagement groups have also focused in on to young Black men, amid concerns that a significant number will decide to stay home. The efforts have focused on stressing the importance of voting but also reducing the barriers and misinformation around how to vote and who is eligible.