News | National
10 Oct 2024 16:58
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > National

    Kamala Harris’ message to women on ‘freedom’ helps explain why Black and white Christians are deeply divided over support for Donald Trump

    The history of Black religious life in the US includes people of all faiths using their beliefs to fight for social justice.

    Youssef Chouhoud, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Christopher Newport University, Dara Delgado, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and Black Studies, Allegheny College, Flavio Rogerio Hickel Jr., Assistant Professor of Political Science,
    The Conversation


    Just days after President Joe Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential race in July, Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the annual meeting of the Zeta Phi Beta sorority in Indianapolis, where she emphasized the importance of both religious faith and political freedom.

    Harris contrasted her stance on abortion rights with that of former President Donald Trump, stating, “Across our nation, we are witnessing a full-on assault on hard-fought, hard-won freedoms and rights,” Harris said. “And in the face of these attacks, we must continue to stand together in defense of freedom.”

    By centering “freedom” in her campaign, Harris invoked a key element of Black identity and spirituality rooted in the historic struggle for liberation by formerly enslaved people. This legacy partly drives an attitudinal divide between Black and white Christians, especially on issues such as abortion and support for Trump.

    As political science and religion scholars, we view Harris’ remarks as a subtle reminder to voters that Black religious life in the U.S. has long involved an appeal to people of all faiths to use their beliefs to advance social justice.

    Her message stands in sharp contrast to Trump’s conservative allies, who have pushed for restrictions on personal freedoms concerning abortion.

    The racial divide

    To better understand the relationship between race, religion and support for Trump, we fielded an online, national survey in June 2024 supported by the Public Religion Research Institute, a nonprofit organization that conducts public opinion polls on a variety of topics.

    In order to compare the views of white and Black Christians, our sample of nearly 1,500 adults included over 700 participants from each racial group. We asked half the sample to indicate their level of agreement with five statements commonly used to measure Christian nationalist beliefs.

    Those items include support for religious-based laws and the belief that the U.S. was conceived as a Christian nation.

    We then categorized participants according to whether they agreed with most of the statements (“adherents” and “sympathizers”) or disagreed with most of them (“skeptics” and “rejectors”). Over one-third of both Black and white Christians agreed with most Christian nationalist ideas.

    A middle-aged white man dressed in a business suit tries to talk with several Black people who have their fists raised in the air.
    Former U.S. President Donald Trump talks at a community meeting at the 180 Church in Detroit, Mich., on June 15, 2024. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

    We found that Black Christian nationalists are far less likely to support Trump, however, compared with their white counterparts. Additionally, they do not back far-right policies, like those outlined in Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s plan to implement a conservative agenda across the federal government.

    These two groups also differ greatly in their evaluation of Trump. Only 17% of Black Christian nationalists expressed a favorable view toward the former president, compared with 49% of white Christian nationalists.

    The chosen one?

    These racial differences are even more pronounced when we examined the attitudes of charismatics – a group of devout Christians who in the late 20th century began emphasizing Pentecostal practices such as divine healing and speaking in tongues, a language of indecipherable sounds believed to be a direct communication with God.

    All participants in our survey – 760 white Americans and 734 Black Americans – were asked whether they had personally experienced or witnessed practices of charismatic Christianity. Those include receiving what they believed to be a direct revelation from God.

    While only 23% of white Americans in the study were categorized as charismatic, that figure doubled to 51% of Black Americans.

    Although prominent white Christian nationalists frequently characterize Trump as “the chosen one,” we found that only 15% of Black charismatics express favorable views of him compared with 52% of white charismatics.

    The ongoing fight for freedom

    The Black radical tradition, helps explain how Black charismatics can share so much with their white counterparts – even an embrace of Christian nationalism – but diverge when it comes to Trump and abortion.

    A Black woman who is smiling proudly walks on a stage before giving a speech.
    Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris walks on stage before delivering her keynote speech at Zeta Phi Beta sorority’s Grand Boulé in Indianapolis on July 24, 2024. Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

    In its contemporary form, the Black radical tradition is an ideological framework that asks its adherents to actively resist policies that threaten racial equality and bodily autonomy. Abortion rights fit squarely within this political tradition.

    According to a 2014 Religious Landscape Survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, the majority of Black Christians say that abortion should be legal. Those Christians include such denominations as Baptists, Presbyterians and Pentecostals who are not affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church.

    Over the years, that majority support for abortion among Black Christians has remained stable and mirrors similar support among Black voters overall. In a 2024 Pew Research Center poll, for instance, 73% of Black voters said abortion should be legal.

    During her speech before members of the Zeta Phi Beta sorority, Harris said that she understood the difficulty in balancing one’s faith with political resistance. But as she explained:

    We, who believe in reproductive freedom, will fight for a woman’s right to choose, because one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree that the government should not be telling her what to do!

    After Harris accepted Biden’s endorsement, her longtime pastor, Rev. Amos Brown, prayed that Harris would advance her campaign “in the spirit of our ancestors.”

    That ancestral spirit includes the Black radical tradition of political resistance – and the ongoing fight for freedom.

    The Conversation

    Youssef Chouhoud receives funding from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). He is affiliated with PRRI as a Public Fellow.

    Dara Delgado receives funding from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). She is affiliated with PRRI as a Public Fellow.

    Flavio Rogerio Hickel Jr. receives funding from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). He is affiliated with PRRI as a Public Fellow.

    Leah Payne works for Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). She is affiliated with PRRI as a Public Fellow and receives funding from PRRI.

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
    © 2024 TheConversation, NZCity

     Other National News
     10 Oct: Hurricane Milton live updates: Category three storm makes landfall on Florida's west coast, leaving almost 2 million without power
     10 Oct: Two teenage girls have been arrested, after aggravated robberies on buses in east Auckland
     10 Oct: Wellington openside flanker Du'Plessis Kirifi has been thrust straight back into the starting line-up as captain for tomorrow's NPC quarter-final against Counties-Manukau in the capital
     10 Oct: Another person's died - after an assault on a retired couple in Rotorua's Western Heights last month
     10 Oct: Stefan Colakovski's been able to use first hand advice to decide on his move to the Wellington Phoenix
     10 Oct: An arrest following a Police pursuit after a gun was reportedly fired at a house in Palmerston North, Tremaine Ave
     10 Oct: The police watchdog's ruled a Christchurch police dog handler was justified in his actions, during a 2022 dramatic arrest involving four teen in stolen cars
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Wellington openside flanker Du'Plessis Kirifi has been thrust straight back into the starting line-up as captain for tomorrow's NPC quarter-final against Counties-Manukau in the capital More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    The Government books have sunk further into the red More...



     Today's News

    Entertainment:
    Raven-Symone's body was allegedly made thinner with CGI on 'That's So Raven' 16:54

    Living & Travel:
    Hurricane Milton live updates: Category three storm makes landfall on Florida's west coast, leaving almost 2 million without power 16:27

    Entertainment:
    Sylvester Stallone's daughter Sistine was chased through New York City by a man "screaming" at her 16:24

    Law and Order:
    Two teenage girls have been arrested, after aggravated robberies on buses in east Auckland 16:17

    Entertainment:
    Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking case is set to involve a series of celebrities who face being sued alongside the rapper 15:54

    Rugby:
    Wellington openside flanker Du'Plessis Kirifi has been thrust straight back into the starting line-up as captain for tomorrow's NPC quarter-final against Counties-Manukau in the capital 15:27

    Entertainment:
    Bobby Brown has sent his "love and blessings" to the grieving family of Whitney Houston's late mother 15:24

    Environment:
    As Hurricane Milton causes havoc in the US, fake images and videos are spreading. Here's how to spot them 15:07

    Law and Order:
    Another person's died - after an assault on a retired couple in Rotorua's Western Heights last month 14:57

    Entertainment:
    Eminem is "excited" about becoming a grandfather 14:54


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2024 New Zealand City Ltd