Georgia

Donald Trump or Kamala Harris: Who will Black men in Georgia vote for?

Published

3 months ago

November 1, 2024

Donald Trump or Kamala Harris: Who will Black men in Georgia vote for?

Both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris know if they want to win Georgia, they need to secure the Black vote. Black people make up Georgia’s largest minority voting bloc, representing roughly 30% of all registered voters in the swing state.

Black men played a critical role in electing President Joe Biden. A total of 83% of Black men in Georgia cast a ballot for Biden in 2020, the Washington Post reported. Now, a week before the 2024 election, the candidates are crisscrossing the state to reach Black men, with Harris working to maintain Democrats’ traditional edge among the demographic.

Over 77% of Black Georgians plan to vote for Harris, according to a recent poll from the Atlanta Journal Constitution. That’s a jump from the 70% who were backing Biden when asked in June, but still far less than the 90% of votes Biden received from Black Georgians in the 2020 election.

There have been rumblings for months among some pollsters that Black men might be leaving the Democratic party, instead choosing to throw their support behind Trump.

Despite what some polls are saying, John Taylor believes “the reality is very different.”

Taylor is the co-founder of the Black Male Initiative Georgia, a nonprofit that focuses on getting Black men civically engaged in the Peach State. Through door-to-door canvassing and events, his group has had over 195,000 conversations with Black men during this election cycle. The vast majority — roughly 83% — voiced their support for Harris.

“I don’t believe that we’re more inclined to vote for Trump,” Taylor says. “I think it’s an atrocious, racist trope to think that because Trump has 34 charges, or his misogynistic behavior, that it in some way endears him to Black men. That’s not who we are.”USA TODAY spoke with Black men on the ground in Georgia to see where they stood on the matchup between Harris and Trump.

A house divided

Josh Gossett, a 33-year-old small business owner in Atlanta, has seen this dynamic play out in his own family. Gossett voted early for Harris. His younger brother Aaron will be casting a ballot for Trump this year.

He believes his brother was eventually won over by Trump’s antagonistic attitude.

“It isn’t about the policies,” Gossett tells USA TODAY. “For people like my brother, it really is about opposition to the mainstream. They see Trump as an avatar for all their anger and frustrations that they’ve had with the system.”

Gossett feels that system has often “left behind” Black men like him and his brother, leaving them “underpaid and underemployed” in the modern workforce. Those disparities in employment and financial opportunity then translate to frustrations at the ballot box.

That’s when a politician like Trump enters, fueling economic insecurities with anti-immigrant rhetoric.

“If any group of people is vulnerable to the idea that immigrants are ‘stealing’ their jobs, it’s Black men,” Gossett says.

‘Racism got real bad under Trump’

Robert James is a 67-year-old rideshare driver who lives in a suburb of Atlanta. While driving, he’s inundated with constant reminders of the presidential election—on the radio, interstate billboards, and customers eager to chat about politics. Like many Americans, he’s excited for the election to be over.

“I’m tired of seeing the commercials,” he sighs.

But campaign ads aside, James knows this election is important—particularly for Black men. He fears that racism would escalate under a second Trump presidency.

“After Trump was elected, it reminded me of the days after Sept.11th,” James says. “Racism got real bad under Trump, after he first got in there. It gave people permission to be racist.”

Like the rise in hate crimes faced by Muslim, Arab, Sikh, and South Asian Americans following the 2001 terrorist attacks, violence against Black Americans skyrocketed in the wake of Trump’s election.

According to a study by the Southern Poverty Law Center, there were 187 hate incidents committed against Black people in the first 10 days following the 2016 election. Some of these amounted to hate crimes.

It is facts like this that make it even more disheartening for James to see fellow Black men support Trump. “My question for them is: why? Why do you continue to back this man? You see how he is.”

Harris’ plans for Black men

Thousands of people gathered to hear former First Lady Michelle Obama speak at a rally on Tuesday in College Park, just south of downtown. Many were bussed in from Atlanta’s historically Black colleges and universities, proudly donning the colors of Harris’ sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha.

But Laquann Wilson, a 27-year-old student from Alabama State University, traveled hours to attend the nonpartisan rally. Wilson says he’s open to “learning to work together” across political differences but doesn’t identify strongly with either party.

“At the end of the day, we all need jobs. The cost of gas is high for everyone. So, if you can help me with a better economic policy, I don’t care if you’re Republican or Democrat,” Wilson explains. “I just want a president who is wise and has clear policies for the Black community.”

Taylor, the co-founder of the Black Male Initiative, believes that Harris has the better policies for Black men.

He points to her plan to provide loans that would forgive up to $20,000 for Black entrepreneurs to start a business, as well as her goal to legalize marijuana so people of color can have access to the booming multi-billion-dollar industry.

But Taylor emphasizes that it’s important to remember – especially when discussing the role of Black men in the election – that the Black vote doesn’t operate in a vacuum.“We have always been amongst the most progressive voting blocs in this country since the inception of our right to vote – in spite of being drawn and quartered, tarred and feathered, and killed on the road to the polls.”

So, while the Black vote “is a powerful voice and critical component,” Taylor says, it’s not up to them alone to put any particular candidate in office.

“If we don’t win, it’s not because enough Black men or women didn’t show up. It’s because well-meaning white women and men didn’t vote their conscious. That’s what is going to keep Vice President Kamala Harris from the White House. It’s not the brothers.”

Melissa Cruz is an elections reporting fellow who focuses on voter access issues for the USA TODAY Network. You can reach her at mcruz@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter, at @MelissaWrites22.

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Georgia

Wintry weather set to blast south Georgia. Snow, ice forecast to make impact | Live Updates

Published

2 hours ago

January 21, 2025

Press Room

Wintry weather set to blast south Georgia. Snow, ice forecast to make impact | Live Updates

Savannah and the surrounding area are under a Winter Storm Warning beginning at 5 p.m. and last until Noon on Wednesday.

Two inches of snow or more could fall in the area with another inch or two of sleet expected to mix into the storm as it it passes through.

Snow showers are expected to begin around 6 p.m. with a wintry mix beginning later in the evening. Snow, sleet and a wintry mix are expected until around 5 a.m. Wednesday.

Heavy snow, even blizzard conditions, have swept through Louisiana and Mississippi throughout Tuesday.

Stay tuned here for live updates as Winter Storm Enzo takes hold of the South.

Savannah radar. Follow the winter storm

Senior Director of Marketing and Air Service Development Lori Lynah said about 22 or 23 arriving flights have been canceled at the Savannah/Hilton Head Airport for Tuesday while another 4 to 5 departing flights have been canceled. She said future cancelations for Wednesday will be determined depending on the type of precipitation and amount that could possibly accumulate over night.

She advised that air travelers scheduled to head into or out of Savannah/Hilton Head over the next three days contact their air carriers for the latest information on flight statuses.

— Joseph Schwartzburt, Savannah Morning News

Change in Savannah trash collection

With a Monday holiday and an incoming winter storm, the city of Savannah’s sanitation services are on an altered schedule.

Residential garbage collection, recycling and yard collection services were on a one-day delay due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday on Monday, and now services (including street sweeping) will be halted on Wednesday.

Shelters, school closings in Effingham County

Local officials in Effingham County are bracing for a winter storm that is slated to bring freezing temperatures and snow to Southeast Georgia.

Wednesday school closings in Bryan, Effingham counties

School administrators in Bryan County and Effingham County are taking extra precaution to protect students and staff as a winter storm is expected to make landfall Tuesday afternoon.

State of Emergency in Savannah

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Chatham County through Noon, on Wednesday, Jan. 22. From Tuesday night through possibly Thursday morning, the service is calling for a mix of snow and freezing rain in the Savannah area, which has impacted operations at local schools, companies and institutions across Chatham County.

Read a roundup of the impacts from closings to remote learning shifts.

Savannah prepares for winter storm

Chatham County leaders and officials gathered in downtown Savannah to discuss the incoming winter weather that has already started chilling Coastal Georgia and surrounding areas.

Chatham County and Southeast Georgia are currently under a cold weather advisory, and the winter storm watch has been upgraded to a winter storm warning as of this afternoon. The National Weather Service is forecasting the accumulation of snow, or freezing rain in the area starting in the afternoon Tuesday and ending Wednesday morning.

Historic pictures of snow in Savannah

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Georgia

Kaiser Permanente names new president of Georgia region

Published

10 hours ago

January 21, 2025

Press Room

ATLANTA – Kaiser Permanente has named Corwin N. Harper as the new president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Georgia.

Release:

Kaiser Permanente has announced that Corwin N. Harper has been named president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Georgia, effective January 21, 2025. As regional health plan president, Harper will lead the organization’s focus on providing integrated, high-quality health care and coverage for more than 327,000 Kaiser Permanente members.

Harper brings 39 years of health care and hospital leadership experience to his position as regional president, including 25 years of prior success at Kaiser Permanente. He served in multiple leadership positions at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California, including various senior vice president, medical group administrator, and area manager roles. He also served as director of hospital operations with The Permanente Medical Group.

Most recently, he served as CEO of Ochsner LSU Health North Louisiana, an integrated academic health system with three acute care hospitals, a behavioral health hospital and 20 clinics with over 600 students, residents, and faculty. Earlier, as regional CEO and chief growth officer for Ochsner Health, he led the turnaround efforts of hospitals and clinics on the Northshore of Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

“We are pleased to welcome Corwin back to Kaiser Permanente,” said Brandon Cuevas, executive vice president, National Health Plan, for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Hospitals. “His deep knowledge of our integrated care model and health plan operations will be crucial in advancing Georgia’s strategic and operational performance to fulfill our mission to provide high-quality, affordable care and service to our members. We are excited to have a leader of Corwin’s experience and commitment to our mission leading our Georgia Health Plan during this exciting time as we continue to expand and invest in the great state of Georgia.”

Harper has served on the University of the Pacific Board of Regents Finance Committee. He is also a board nominee for the American College of Health Care Executives Board of Governors, and preceptor for the U.S. Army Baylor Residency Program. He received a Master of Health Care Administration from Baylor University and a bachelor’s degree in biology from The Citadel.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve nearly 12.5 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, go to about.kp.org.

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Georgia

Georgia Football Depth Chart Check – Quarterback

Published

18 hours ago

January 21, 2025

Press Room

Georgia Football Depth Chart Check – Quarterback

The Georgia Bulldogs enter the 2025 season having to replace two-year starter and now Miami QB, Carson Beck. Here’s a look at the depth chart at Quarterback.

The Georgia Bulldogs enter the 2025 season having to replace two year starter, Carson Beck at the quarterback position. With Gunner Stockton having replaced Beck during the SEC Championship Game against Texas and earning his first career start against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, Stockton is the presumed starter entering the 2025 season. Here’s how the depth chart stacks up at QB.

QB1 – Gunner Stockton
Now, there’s no 100% guarantee that Stockton is the guy moving forward, considering Kirby Smart’s history of embarrassing open competitions. Stockton will have to earn the starting job this spring and fall camp, however, he’s earned a sizeable lead entering the offseason over redshirt freshman Ryan Puglisi. Stockton has waited his turn behind both Carson Beck and Brock Vandagriff and showed elite ball placement and downfield accuracy against Notre Dame in his first career start. The offense is expected to look slightly different with a full offseason to mold the offense to Stockton’s skill sets.

QB2 – Ryan Puglisi
At 6’3, 210 pounds on an extremely athletic and powerful frame, Puglisi is arguably the most talented of all the quarterbacks in the room. He has an extremely talented arm that can make all of the throws. However, there’s going to need to be continued growth within the system and maturation in the decision making department as a quarterback. Sources insider the Georgia program have indicated the future is bright for Puglisi once experience is added to the plethora of talented traits he possesses.

QB3 – Colter Ginn
The PWO from Perry, Ga is listed at 6’3, 203 and he turned down mid major opportunities to walk on at Georgia. He’s another one of these young signal-callers that is just as physically gifted as any thrower.

Freshman:
– Ryan Montgomery, QB: Montgomery suffered a knee injury at the beginning of his senior year, undergoing surgery.
– Hezekiah Millender, QB: A PWO from Athens Clarke County, Millender was formerly committed to Boise State.

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