By Felicia J. Persaud
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Oct. 25, 2024: In the run up to and since becoming US Vice President, Kamala Devi Harris, has spoken little about her roots in Jamaica. Since becoming the Democratic Presidential contender three months ago, she has all but given a basic nod to the nation of her father’s birth. Yet naturalized Jamaican voters in the US are filled with optimism and excitement at the fact that history could be made on November 5th and someone with roots in Jamaica could become for the first time – President of the United States.
History maker? The US’ first Black President, Barack Obama, r., with and Democratic presidential nominee and Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris, who could become the US’ second black president, its first female president, its first black female president, and first with roots in the Caribbean and Jamaica, at a campaign rally at James R. Hallford Stadium in Clarkston, Georgia, United States on October 24, 2024. (Photo by Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)
It is a fact that is emotionally hard to grasp for many, whose ancestors were once forcibly brought to the US and Caribbean and worked as slaves for over 400 years. But as the days tick down to November 5th, many Jamaicans are “full-joy,” to quote a Rastafarian saying, that Harris, the daughter of Jamaican economist Dr. Donald Harris and Indian immigrant Shyamala Gopalan Harris, can do what Hillary Clinton could not – beat the crass talking, controversial, convicted felon and former President, Donald Trump, and be sworn in as America’s 47th President in January 2025.
If elected, Harris, 60, would not only be the nation’s first female president, but also its first Black woman, second Black head of state and the first with roots to the Caribbean and Jamaica.
Black immigrants from Jamaica account for the largest number of foreign-born blacks across the U.S. today.
In 2020, the US Census reported that there were an estimated 1,047,117 Jamaican Americans in the US and over 4 million Caribbean immigrants. Most Jamaicans call the states of New York, Florida, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, California, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Massachusetts home. The percentage of those who can vote is estimated at 814,606 according to CSR reports, making them among a large percentage of the Black immigrant voting bloc.
And most News Americas spoke to are voting and are all in for Harris, even though her campaign has spent little to no money in Black and Caribbean American media and on trying to directly win their votes.
“I have a lot of confidence Kamala will win,” Jamaican born, US voter and New Yorker Clement Humes, a Caribbean-American radio host of the program ‘Groovin Radio,’ said. “I think Americans are looking beyond race and know Mr. Trump is dangerous for America, with his talk of wanting to be a dictator and having generals like Hitler. As long as we exercise the right to vote, Kamala can win.”
Also predicting a Harris win is Jamaican immigrant Gregory Smith, who volunteered and worked across the US to help elect the US’ first Black President, Barack Obama.
“In this upcoming election, the voice of Caribbean voters is more crucial than ever. With issues like immigration, women’s health, and justice on the line, we have the power to influence our democracy profoundly,” he said.
Like Humes, Smith is predicting a Harris win despite the polls. “She will win like Obama did in ‘08 and nothing like getting a glimpse of the future which includes the many and not the past,” Smith said, adding he has already voted for her.
Jamaican-born, naturalized American, New Yorker and radio journalist, Francine Chin is also optimistic that Harris will beat Trump.
“ I truly tend to ignore the national polls and pay attention instead to policies as outlined by opposing candidates and the temperature of the streets,” she told News Americas. “Based on those factors, I am predicting a win for the Harris/(Tim) Waltz team.”
Lyndon Taylor, the Jamaican founder & CEO of Lyndon Taylor & Associates, is holding Caribbean men and Black voters to account to help Harris make history. He insists if they “mobilize and understand what’s at stake, we could pave the way for the United States to finally elect its first female Head of State.”
Jamaican born educator, Lawman Lynch, who is running in New York City as a candidate for Councilmanic District 41 in Brooklyn, NY, which was once held by Jamaican Councilwoman Una Clarke and later her daughter, current Congresswoman, Jamaican American Yvette Clarke, said “Caribbean nationals who are eligible to vote in November 2024 are at an intersection of optimism, caution, determination and fear.”
“We recognize we cannot leave anything to chance, so there is visible determination within the Caribbean community to ensure Kamala Harris is elected President, through multiple canvassing initiatives and intentional messaging among our Caribbean people, especially our youth,” added Lynch.
Black activists march to an early voting polling place during a protest against Georgia’s SB202 law, which prohibits giving food or water to anyone waiting in line to vote, on October 19, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/AFP via Getty Images)
Jamaican-born journalist, Barrington Salmon, who lives in Washington, D.C., said he feels Harris will win even though he sees her Achilles heel as the war on Gaza and the administration’s unconditional support for the Benjamin Netanyahu government in Israel.
“Harris and Walz have awakened an excitement I haven’t seen since Barack Obama in 2008,” Salmon said. “Republicans are nervous and rightly so because they’re in danger of getting their ass kicked.”
But he noted that “if they win, Trump, MAGA and white domestic terrorists will be a problem.” Salmon paints a more dire image of a Trump win – which he said will make America “as we know … a memory.”
Like Salmon, Jamaican advocate and founder of the Caribbean Immigrant Services and Team Jamaica Bickle, Irwine Clare, Sr., is stressing the importance of this election.
“The seriousness of this election must be responded to with an adroit and stealth approach in getting our community out to vote for the Harris Waltz ticket,” said Clare. “In addition to the threat to democracy, the immigrant community especially those of color, are faced with a calamitous situation – the potential break up of families.”
Similarly, Jamaican Christopher Chaplin, a voter in one of the must-win states of Pennsylvania, understands this is a high stakes election.
“This year’s election is pivotal and the result will have global consequences either way,” said Chaplin, who declined to name a winner citing tight polls.
“Pennsylvania will be the key state in determining who the winner is and the race in Pennsylvania is tight,” said Chaplin. But he believes ultimately the Democrats ability to raise money for their campaign and their superior ground game will result in Pennsylvania going for the Democrats on Election Day.
But Jamaican-American Shaun Walsh, the founder of Whatz Up TV in New York, feels the race is way too close to call.
With roughly two weeks remaining before the election, neither Vice President Kamala Harris nor former President Donald Trump has taken a clear lead in key battleground states. Recent polling data shows a close race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump:
A CNBC survey (±3.1% margin of error) shows Trump leading among registered voters, 48% to 46%, with similar results in a Wall Street Journal poll (±2.5%), where Trump leads 47% to 45%. A HarrisX/Forbes poll of likely voters released Wednesday shows Trump ahead by two points, 51% to 49% with leaners included, and by one point, 49% to 48%, without.
Meanwhile, Harris leads in several recent polls, including a Monmouth poll (47%-44%) and an Economist/YouGov survey (49%-46%). Additional polls from Reuters/Ipsos and Morning Consult both show Harris with narrow leads of three and four points, respectively, while USA Today/Suffolk University and Emerson College polls reflect a one-point edge for Harris.Harris’ overall lead over Trump has slightly narrowed since late August, though she maintains a slim advantage in FiveThirtyEight’s polling average.
“It’s a tight election. Both sides are doing a good job to get their message out and many people on both sides have made up their minds, but I don’t see the momentum as when Obama was running, so to me, it’s up for grabs despite what the polls say,” said Walsh.
Walsh is right, as there are pockets of Jamaican voters who are surprisingly supporting Donald Trump, despite his anti-immigrant lies, his hate-filled rants and threats of mass deportation.
Among them are the Jamaican-born Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, Winsome Sears, who is now publicly supporting Trump’s bid for president after previously expressing doubts about his candidacy. Sears called Trump a liability to Republicans in 2022 after Democrats overperformed during congressional mid-term elections.But Republican insiders widely expect Sears to seek the Republican nomination for governor next year.
Also with Team Trump is Jamaican immigrant and documentary filmmaker, Errol Webber. Webber immigrated to the U.S., from Jamaica, with his family in 2002, at 15 years old. “Yes, I am a black man. Yes, I am a legal immigrant from Jamaica. Yes, I live in Los Angeles. And yes, I support President Trump!,” he posted boldly on Twitter.
Nonetheless, Patrick Beckford, a New Jersey-based Jamaican immigrant and US citizen voter, foresees a Harris win, and insists he has tuned out the polls.
Also seeing a Harris win is Clarendon-born, naturalized Jamaican citizen, Henry Anderson, who migrated to and has been living in the US since 1974. Still Anderson admitted he is nervous about this election, given the rhetoric and political temperature. Yet, he also predicts a Harris win.
“It is the very first time in the 50 years I am very nervous about an election,” he said. “It seems like if either party win there may be violence and I’m not looking forward to it. I hope both sides don’t let politics upset what America is.”
Jamaican voter Ann-Marie Grant, executive director of the American Foundation for the University of the West Indies (AFUWI), admits she’s feeling nervous despite throwing her full support to Harris – though her concerns go beyond Harris’ gender and race.
“It’s entirely based on the premise of the policy proposals shared, a sense of respect for law and order,” said Grant. “The unkind rhetoric and hateful comments by many people are unacceptable. Only one of the candidate has demonstrated the ethical standards, maturity, the metal acuity and the integrity to hold the office of President of this great country – Kamala Harris.”
But Grant admitted she is “anxious” as she finds “the current environment quite toxic.”
“Given the propensity of her opponent to disrespect the law of the land and not recognize/accept the truth that he lost the last election, even when she wins this one legitimately, he will likely repeat his last performance,” she said. “I fear the outcome could be even worse. May God help us all.”
