Black journalists will have the opportunity to question U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris during an interview on Tuesday, September 17, in Philadelphia.
The forum, organized by the National Association of Black Journalists, comes after Harris did not attend the group’s convention in Chicago this summer.
Harris’s Republican rival, Donald Trump, was a controversial figure at the July convention, where he faced criticism for his comments about Harris’s racial identity and his treatment of a moderator.
Harris had initially expressed willingness to attend a separate forum due to a scheduling conflict with the convention, which occurred shortly after President Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race.
The interview will be conducted by three members of the organization, including reporters from TheGrio and Politico, as well as an anchor from WHYY-FM.
Both Harris and Trump are working to secure the support of Black voters, who are seen as crucial in the closely contested November 2024 election. Pennsylvania, in particular, is viewed as a key battleground state in the Electoral College.
While Harris has generally avoided detailing specific policies on issues such as education, the economy, and criminal justice—concerns that are important to many Black voters—Black voters have historically been a reliable Democratic bloc, having supported Biden by a 92% to 8% margin over Trump in 2020, according to Pew Research Center.
