By Macy Meinhardt, Voice & Viewpoint Staff Writer
As a stop on his campaign trail for United States Senator, California Rep. Adam Schiff visited San Diego Friday to speak with Black voters and local labor unions on worker rights, socioeconomic disparities, and the Democratic strategy for the 2024 election.
“If the state gets a cold, we [Black citizens] get pneumonia,” said Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber during Schiff’s roundtable discussion held at United Domestic Workers Local 3930 headquarters in District 4.
Secretary Weber’s comments echo a widespread frustration among Black voters, and is one Schiff says he aims to target both legislatively as a representative and through his campaign for state senate. As many Californians grapple with affording basic necessities like housing, childcare, and healthcare, Black Californians face these challenges at disproportionately higher rates—highlighting the demand for elected officials to actively engage and listen to the needs of the Black constituents they seek to represent.
Schiff, who represents California’s 30th district in Los Angeles, is currently running for U.S. Senator against Republican former baseball player Steve Garvey. During his opening remarks, Schiff maintained that he was “conscious” of a lot of the issues affecting the Black community overall, but wanted to explore more of the impacts here in San Diego.
The State of Black San Diego at a Glance
Key issues Schiff’s campaign centers around include homelessness, housing, and affordability. Recent data produced by the San Diego Foundation provides evidence on where San Diego is at in terms of these issues.
- More than half of Black San Diegans spend more than 30% of their household income on housing alone.
- Black San Diegans are twice as likely to have no health insurance.
- 19% of the city’s homeless population are Black, despite making up 6% of the population.
- Black San Diegans are four times more likely to experience food insecurity.
Doug Moore, Executive Director of UDW Homecare Providers Union/AFSCME Local 3930 arranged the meeting at the UDW/AFSCME Local 3930 headquarters on Seminole Drive. During the discussion, key topics mentioned were how Schiff can best represent the minority working class through these issues.
“I am really focused on trying to make the economy work for people again, so that people can afford a home, so that they can afford childcare for their kids, so you don’t have people not able to join the workforce–which is often people of color and women of color,” said Schiff.
Black workers across San Diego have an unemployment rate of 16% and make up 25% of essential low wage working jobs. Executive Director of the Black Worker Center Brisa Johnson attributes this to systemic racism and labor discrimination within the regional workforce.
“We’re very aware of our circumstances; we live in systems of oppression and racism every single day. So we need to have conversations on what the strategy actually looks like and what that investment looks like,” said Johnson.
As a way to target the concerns coming from minority workers, parts of Schiff’s affordability agenda proposes to make childcare affordable, lower the cost of education, strengthen employment laws and healthcare reductions.
During the roundtable, Schiff also elaborated on how he felt about President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign. Schiff has made headlines in recent weeks for being one of the first high-ranking Democrats to call for Biden to step down as the nominee.
“I have great respect and great affection for him, so it wasn’t something I came to lightly. He has the most impressive record of any president in a single term,” said Schiff.
Schiff cited instances such as the debate and its aftermath as factors that “convinced” him that Biden was most likely not going to win, but it is also his disdain for another Trump presidency.
“Having seen the terrible destruction that he brought to our country and the horrible bigotry and division, I felt the need to do everything I can to make sure that he never sits in that office again,” said Schiff, who also served on the Jan. 6th Select Committee that investigated the attack on the U.S. Capitol in 2021.
“Changing the nominee this late in the game is a risky thing to do, but proceeding along a path you are convinced is the wrong direction is a potentially bigger risk”
When prompted, Schiff revealed last Friday that given current Vice President Kamala Harris’ “knowledge, experience, and stature,” Harris could be the pick to win, “potentially overwhelmingly.”
President Biden announced his official step down as the nominee on Sunday with an endorsement of current Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Power of the Black Vote
“Every city that has a Black vote is a battleground location,” said Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher of Voice & Viewpoint, during the discussion with Schiff.
The voting power of Black communities can significantly influence election outcomes, making these locations essential for any party aiming to secure a victory. Despite this significance, members voiced their frustration over ongoing voter suppression and the insufficient investment from political action committees.
“Investing in the Black vote across the country—not just in Georgia, or South Carolina— is the pathway to winning in November and not just for the President, but for taking back the house, for maintaining the senate,” said Christopher Wilson, Vice President of Operations at PowerPAC, a social justice organization that supports progressive local and state elections.
After the roundtable, Schiff joined a crowd of UDW members to talk about his campaign and his dedication for worker rights.
As the November elections approach, Schiff’s efforts to connect with Black voters and his stance on key issues like housing and healthcare demonstrate a strategic push to harness the influential power of the Black vote for Democratic success.
