Milwaukee's African American voter base reveals fissures in the Democratic base supporting Harris
"What's your take on Kamala Harris?" Johnson queries as a lady opens the door and emerges onto the porch.
"I think she's fantastic," she replies, causing Johnson to broaden his grin even further.
"And what about Trump?" he questions next.
"Not so hot," she retorts promptly.
The discussion carries on for another minute or so, with Johnson discussing early voting options and requesting her contact information for follow-up purposes. After exchanging pleasantries, Johnson departs to their next destination.
Johnson and his comrades from Black Leaders Organizing for Communities are regulars in these neighborhoods, but their pace has picked up and the fallen leaves add a splash of color and crunching sound. The Halloween decorations on the lawn indicate that the calendar is progressing. Similarly, the new scripts the canvassers are utilizing signify that this is the season for voting.
"Just wanted to remind you that early voting begins on October 22," a canvasser tells a man who answers the door.
Democratic victories in Wisconsin, which switched from Trump to Biden four years ago, hinge on these predominately Black neighborhoods on Milwaukee's north side.
"There's a lot of enthusiasm," says Angela Lang, a seasoned organizer who serves as BLOC's executive director. "Generally speaking, people appear to be in a good place."
The enthusiasm and activism among Black women are plain to see. Additionally, Lang reports that conversations with other organizers suggest unexpected victories in Wisconsin.
"You can't win a statewide election without going through the heart of Milwaukee, and sometimes that journey leads through this office and the work that our team does," Lang stated in an interview. "However, we are also observing folks in heavily red areas banding together with other women at coffee shops without their husbands' knowledge and starting to discuss these topics."
We first encountered Lang and BLOC a year ago during the initial stages of our CNN project, "All Over The Map," to monitor the 2024 election through the perspectives of voters in crucial battlegrounds or voting blocs.
It is evident that Harris now appears more promising than Biden did then. Even Johnson, who was 21 at the time, expressed uncertainty about his voting choice, characterizing Biden and Trump as too old and disconnected from his generation. Now, Johnson is as fired up to vote for Harris as he is to canvas for her and other Democrats.
"Before Harris got in the race, I was like, kind of undecided, feeling like everyone else," Johnson said of his decision prior to Harris joining the race. "But now that Kamala's got the ball and she's running with it, I'm like, 'Yeah, she's making a great impression for herself and the Democrats.'"
A year ago, Lang was candid about Biden's struggles in Milwaukee's Black neighborhoods. Now, she speaks of an energy surrounding Harris and numerous attempts to develop innovative strategies to stimulate high voter turnout.
"It's completely different," Lang said.
Fractures in the Democratic alliance
However, she openly discussed cracks and worries in the Democratic foundation, which were evident during our walks with the canvassers and our attendance at their debriefing session.
Some individuals claim they will not vote.
"Because they argue it won't make a difference," one canvasser stated at the gathering.
Young Black voters are more challenging to motivate.
"We still have work to do," one canvasser informed her coworkers. "They have a lot of unanswered concerns."
However, the most significant concern is Black males.
"People mention that they had more money in their pockets when Trump was president due to the stimulus checks during the pandemic," Lang said.
She advises canvassers to point out that Congress authorized that funding and that Trump initially opposed the idea, even though he eventually placed his signature on the checks.
The second major concern is Harris's political beginnings: as a county prosecutor and later as California's attorney general.
"It makes sense why some might have reservations," Lang said of Harris's background in law enforcement. "I myself did too."
Now, she tells canvassers that Harris's key priority as a prosecutor was programs aimed at reducing recidivism.
'They perceive a man as a leader'
Brian McMutuary reveals that he is open to listening in the final days. He was a lifelong Democrat until he voted for Trump in 2020.
He disagrees with Trump on abortion rights and immigration. However, he appreciates Trump's view on cryptocurrency and recalls experiencing better financial circumstances when Trump was president.
"When I go to the grocery store, I get what I need, not necessarily what I want or what the kids want," McMutuary said in an interview in Menomonee Falls, a Milwaukee suburb. "We need to budget each week. It's tight."
McMutuary also expresses worries about Putin and Xi Jinping treating Harris unequally as a leader.
"They perceive a man as a leader," he said.
He stated that he has no issue with a woman president.
"Not at all," McMutuary said. "It's all about what's best for the country."
Eric Jones reveals that he has encountered this and other sentiments as he interacts with people, whether it's during coffee dates, trips to the barbershop, or in his real estate business.
If I were a bettin' kinda fella, I'd probably sink my cash into Harris, stated Jones in a chat at Confectionately Yours, a freshly opened coffee shop and bakery that's Black-owned on Milwaukee's Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
"Things are looking up," Jones mentioned. "The figures are better. The vibe is completely altered. It's a whole different ballgame compared to our last visit, particularly concerning elections."
However, he still detects the same fissures and apprehensions echoed by the BLOC community organizers, especially among Black men.
"They'll voice, 'I had more green in my pocket when he was in office,'" Jones said.
Harris' role as San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general might attract suburban voters, but it also stirs concerns here.
"Cops haven't always been kind to Black folks historically," Jones pointed out. "District attorneys haven't always been friendly to Black folks historically."
Jones also mentions that abortion and transgender rights have been hot topics in some recent community debates at various stops.
"The old-timers believe they've got a stranglehold on the Christian vote," Jones said. "The Democrats think they've got a tight grip on the Black vote. The problem is there are plenty of Blacks who are Christians and the Black church is one of the strongest establishments in the Black community, right?"
"So you've got this tug-of-war going on in a city that I'm pretty sure the Black folks will settle who takes the victory, and more than likely, the presidency."
"I believe Kamala Harris has the potential to make great strides in politics," Johnson shares during their post-canvassing debriefing.
The lady from earlier in the day interjects, "Indeed, and her stance on certain issues, like criminal justice reform, is quite promising."
