President Joe Biden visited Michigan last week to bolster support among Black voters, but his trip to the predominantly Black city of Saginaw has drawn criticism from some African American leaders who felt sidelined during the President’s visit.
The initial plan was for Biden to visit a Black church, providing an opportunity to engage with union workers, community leaders, students, and supporters – key constituencies that could help with door-knocking efforts after the event. However, the President instead made stops at the homes of two local white leaders and met with a Black family at a golf course.
Hurley Coleman Jr., a prominent Saginaw pastor and Biden backer whose family members met the President at the golf course, described the trip as a “missed opportunity” for meaningful community engagement beyond what was publicly seen.
The perceived snub comes at a delicate time for Biden, who is grappling with opposition from Michigan’s sizable Arab American community over his administration’s support for Israel amid violence in Gaza. His approval rating among Black adults has fallen since taking office, and Trump’s campaign believes it can peel off portions of this core Democratic voting bloc in the upcoming election.
While Biden secured 91% of the Black vote in 2020, his approval among Black adults stood at 58% in a recent AP-NORC poll.
State education leader Pamela Pugh echoed Coleman’s sentiments, saying Black and faith leaders felt an opportunity was missed for “back-and-forth conversation” and greater inclusivity during Biden’s Saginaw visit.
This report has information from The Associated Press.