Symone Sanders Townsend and Melissa Murray Discuss Their New MSNBC Special (Exclusive Clip)

What insurance policies do voters count on or hope to see a possible Harris administration pursue to assist Black girls?

Townsend: Abortion and all issues financial. The financial system was the throughline for each single dialog we had. It’s on the prime of thoughts for Black girls voters for certain.

Melissa Murray: The financial system is big, they usually additionally perceive how reproductive rights relate to financial fortunes. I feel that could be completely different from the way in which it’s articulated in different communities, however for all the Black girls that we spoke to, having reproductive freedom was a kitchen desk problem. Having kids, with the ability to take care of them when you could have them, and never having kids—all of these issues went on to their financial well-being. They noticed these two points as inextricably intertwined, and wished them addressed.

In addition they have been very involved about police violence, particularly the ladies in in Washington, D.C. I’m undecided precisely how deeply a presidential administration can change the query of police violence, since 18,000 police departments are underneath native and state management. However that was a spot the place they felt they weren’t being heard.

What’s a standard theme that you simply heard throughout your cross nation travels?

Townsend: We requested girls in Montgomery County, PA and the youthful girls we spoke to on the nail store very immediately to reply to this notion that Black girls are saviors who’re going to [protect] democracy. One in every of them mentioned, “I can barely maintain up my lease—how can I maintain up democracy?” All of them felt that it was assumed that [Democrats] can have their vote, and that’s the unsuitable assumption. They should earn their vote.

Melissa Murray: Each single Black girl we talked to was of the view that their votes have been being taken as a right and that they have been within the bag for the Democratic social gathering. I feel it was true on this election, as a result of they understood that that is an existential disaster for democracy. However it was additionally revealed to us that if the stakes aren’t fairly as excessive, they may not be moved to return out and save democracy one other time—except folks begin taking them and their votes significantly.