Many of Morgan State University’s male students voiced their feelings — ranging from disinterest to optimism — about the upcoming election.
Vice President Kamala Harris leads former President Donald Trump by an average of 2.1 points in national polls according to FiveThirtyEight. Harris’ campaign has recently begun focusing on Black male voters, a historically Democratic bloc, to strengthen her chances — regardless, there seems to be a downward shift in Black male support of the Harris-Walz ticket.
Sophomore entrepreneurship major Michael Jordan said he’s kept track of the election — but minimally, as he has doubts about both candidates.
“I’ve seen what both candidates are kind of like and I don’t feel like they’re fitting for the role of presidency,” said Jordan. “I feel like if anybody were fit for the role, it would probably [have] been Kennedy … I feel like both candidates have selfish intentions when they’re running the country.”
In Jordan’s statement, he referred to third-party candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who exited the race on Aug. 23. He voiced these sentiments even after the Harris campaign’s efforts to reach a Black male audience.
According to a New York Times and Siena College poll, there has been a decline in Black men’s number since Biden’s 2020 administration. 70% said they would vote for Harris in November, which is down from Biden’s 85% in 2020.
According to AP News, Harris introduced a plan to enhance opportunities for Black men on Oct. 14, which included loan forgiveness for entrepreneurs and support for Black people looking to enter the cannabis industry.
“I try to pay attention to [some] politics but I’m honestly disinterested,” said senior business major Kevin Lopez.
Lopez and Jordan shared a similar level of interest regarding the 2024 election but for different reasons.
“So when I look at Trump, I see that he’s here for the rich people and a lot of the rich people [don’t] really have the people’s best interests at heart,” Jordan said. “And then with Kamala, it’s a lot of illegal immigrants — if not illegal immigrants, then it’s people just working for less.”
Public trust in government figures remains notably low for African Americans according to a 2024 Pew Research Center study. The study said only 27% of African Americans trust the government in Washington to do what is right most of the time or nearly always.
According to Pew’s research, the percentage of Black people’s trust in the government was as low as 9% during Trump’s presidency and as high as 27%. This figure has been 37% at its height during Biden’s term and as low as 21%.
“It seems like no matter where you put your vote, it feels like it’s not going to look good on both ends,” Jordan said. “People say pick the best poison, but it’s still poison at the end of the day so I’m not voting.”
While students like Jordan have voiced frustration with the current presidential candidates and plan to abstain from voting, others have a more optimistic perspective — particularly about Kamala Harris.
Freshman multiplatform production major Brayden Chambers said he appreciates Kamala Harris’s historic candidacy.
“I feel like that’s a big accomplishment regardless of whatever happens in the election,” said Chambers.
Chambers said many of his peers hold strong opinions about the former president but refrained from judging the former president.
“I’ve read some things about him but I really don’t go off of what other people say,” Chambers said. “So I would have to do my own research before I would slander somebody or have a negative opinion on him.”
Freshman mathematics and science major Kevin Crawford said the cost of education is a high concern for him in this election.
“I’d vote for Kamala because she’s a woman and I’ve never seen a woman in office and I kind of want to see that,” Crawford said. “I just hope they can bring down this tuition.”
According to the College Board’s Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid 2023 report, “the cost of college has seen a significant rise over the last 30 years. Between 1993-94 and 2023-24 … Public two-year colleges saw an increase from $2,650 to $3,990, public four-year colleges rose from $5,380 to $11,260, and private nonprofit four-year institutions surged from $23,300 to $41,540, all figures adjusted for inflation.”
Crawford said he wasn’t pleased with Trump’s debate performance and criticized the candidate’s focus on personal attacks rather than meaningful policy discussions.
“It’s the jabs, especially with Trump,” Crawford said. “He’s always throwing jabs at her, [instead of] talking about what he wants to do for the United States.”
Senior multimedia production major Randolph Smith, also said he had a general dislike for the former president, but appreciated Trump’s business-oriented perspective.
“… He runs things like a business and since America is based on a business model, we need to make sure the country operates effectively,” Smith said. “But at the same time, it’s just like Kamala Harris is more about the people.”
Smith said he supports Harris’ focus on economic issues and her commitment to social justice.
“She does worry about the economy, but she also cares about us as human beings, especially when it comes to protecting abortion rights for women,” Smith said. “That’s why I believe she should be president of the United States.”
According to a 2022 Pew Research Center study, voter turnout during the 2020 presidential election put the U.S. in 31st place out of 49 national elections in other countries. The study shows that 62.8% of the U..S. voting age population voted that year whereas Uruguay — which was first — had 90.1% of its voting-age population vote in its 2019 election.
“You have to use your individual right to go vote,” said Smith. “If you don’t go vote, who will?”
