Kamala D. Harris offers a path toward fairness, economic relief and security, especially for Black families (Photo Credit: AP under Creative Commons 4.0 license).
In her first semester at a mostly white college, a group of MAGA-supporting students called the daughter of a Chicago Defender staffer the N-word as they walked past her.
Later, when former President Donald Trump was set to visit campus for a football game, her parents sent extra money for food, asking her to stay in her dorm to avoid another ugly encounter. Although Trump canceled his appearance, the worry stayed—a kind of worry that makes the thought of another Trump presidency feel like a threat to the safety of Black Americans and to the core of our democracy.
Trump’s words and actions have given a green light to those who thrive on racism and exclusion. Another term would lock in a worldview marked by grievance, fear, and wealth for the few, while Black Americans and others who’ve always faced obstacles would be pushed back even further.
Trump’s economic promises may sound like help for working people, but they mainly benefit the ultra-wealthy and leave middle- and low-income Americans stuck with the tab.
Take his proposed tariffs—up to 60% on goods from China and 10-20% on all imports. They would land hardest on families, with experts predicting over $2,600 more each year for the average household. Small businesses that depend on imports would face higher costs, fewer options, and the real risk of closing their doors.
Conversely, Harris has a tax plan that is interested in providing real relief for middle- and low-income families, where the wealthiest in our society pay more taxes. Under her plan, middle-income earners would see a 2.7% tax cut, and the lowest earners a 7% cut, while the top 1% would pay 4.1% more. This is about leveling the playing field.
When it comes to housing—a bedrock of building wealth—Trump has promised access to homeownership but with no real plan to back it up. Harris has a clear, three-step approach to make housing more accessible. Her plan includes $25,000 in down-payment support for first-time homebuyers with a solid rental history, incentives for builders to create affordable starter homes and rent-stabilization measures to prevent wealthy landlords from pushing up prices.
Her proposal directly attacks the housing crisis that has hit Black and Brown communities the hardest, especially in our city.
The difference between Trump and Harris couldn’t be clearer.
Trump’s big tax cuts in office mostly helped corporations and the rich, leaving regular Americans behind. His promised wage increases for the average household under his signature Tax Cuts and Jobs Act never showed up; as the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities pointed out, families making under $114,000 saw almost no benefit. Harris’s policies focus on real improvements for working families.
Trump’s policies, experts say, would hurt middle- and lower-income Americans the hardest, especially Black families. His pitch as a businessman who knows how to bring prosperity is as empty as it is misleading.
Donald J. Trump is peddling a myth while Kamala D. Harris is providing solutions.
She represents the kind of fair-minded leadership The Chicago Defender stands for. Her focus on economic fairness, housing access and balanced taxation paints a vision of America where every family has a real shot at a stable, secure future.
We proudly endorse Kamala D. Harris as the 47th President of the United States because her leadership offers a hopeful path forward for our staffer’s daughter—and for all Americans, especially us.