Black voices weigh in on Biden, Trump and Election Day 2024

By AFRO Interns

In the wake of the recent presidential debate, President Joe Biden and Donald Trump’s ability or inability to lead the country effectively has become a popular topic of public discussion. This week, the AFRO interns conducted interviews with Black people on the street and members of the AFRO team about the election. The question at hand: Should President Joe Biden step aside as a presidential candidate? And if so – who should take his place on the campaign trail? The interns also inquired about support for Donald Trump in the Black community. Interviewees provided a variety of answers, representing the diversity of Black thought on full display this election year.

“President Biden should stay. He’s been here all of this time, where is he going to go? I’m not voting for anybody. Donald Trump is about to get locked up. Biden can’t hold a conversation without him blacking out. I’m not voting for any of them.

Trump isn’t doing anything for us. We have to stick together and do stuff for each other– it’s about us. We have to come together. Once we do, there’s no dividing us. Let’s come together.”

Derrick Johnson, 24
East Baltimore native
Contract worker

“Biden’s like a dinosaur. I don’t think he’s mentally fit to be president. I’m not a Trump supporter, but I keep hearing from people that he has been great for business. I don’t like to vote because it’s like a choice between a viper and a cobra. They’re puppets. I don’t trust the government in general to do what’s best for us. I don’t know if it would make a difference if someone else stepped in.

I can’t give Trump my vote: I’m not a Trump supporter. Some people say he’s racist and some say he’s not. He says some things that I don’t agree with. People make fun of me, because I’m not political… ‘You got to vote, your ancestors died for the right for you to vote!’ I’m not voting for a snake.”

Keikola Valentine, 50
New York
Administrative Assistant

“You see, a lot of people don’t look at what Biden has done. They are looking at age, but age is not what you need to rule a country. You need experience. If you look at Biden, he started from scratch. He’s doing things for people in school.

There is no reason to support Trump. Even though I’m not an American, if I were, I would not vote for him. I can’t allow a gangster to rule me. I can’t allow a fraudulent person to be in that place. If you bring him back, it will be worse than his first tenure. A lot of other countries don’t want him back.”

Adewale Adebambo, 68
Nigeria
Retired

“Biden doesn’t seem very coherent. I don’t have faith in him. He doesn’t seem like a man I would follow. When Trump was in office, gas was less than two dollars. Everything cost less. Money was flowing. People were prospering.”

Jimmie Joyner, 35
East Baltimore native
State Employee

“Based on him winning the delegates, Biden should stay in the election. I like his character and experience, and he has great empathy for Americans, generally speaking. People still have concerns about issues in the Black community– but we have to look at who is showing up, who’s asking questions, who’s taking things seriously. I think he clearly does show up and is empathetic to people in this country, notably African Americans. Is he old? Absolutely. At that level of leadership, those things matter. The president sets the tone, the pace and the agenda. I’m fine with his age.

I do not think Trump is fit for office. He has selfish ambitions, his policies are misguided and the Republican party isn’t putting their constituents first. So I wouldn’t vote for him under any circumstance.”

George Barnes, 41
Baltimore native
Executive

“I feel like Biden is getting older now, so his mind is slower. Donald Trump isn’t far behind, but he’s a little more in his head– at the same time, he’s more reckless. So I’d rather put the vice president in that chair. I don’t want to put Trump in that office because he was starting wars, he was starting everything. I wouldn’t vote for either.”

Manni Smith, 20
West Baltimore native
Restaurant worker

“I think Biden should step aside. It’s time for fresh, younger leadership with fresh perspectives. I think it’s important to include more perspectives in our government. I’d like to see that. I am not pleased with some of the choices that our former leader has made. I think they’re opportunities for new leadership and we need to give someone else a chance. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. I think we’ve already given him a chance. I’d like to see something new.”

Alanah Davis, 32
New York City
Chief Storyteller for the City of Baltimore