Lewis

My parents met while protesting for civil rights. When I was a child, they would take me to marches in a stroller. Those were my first memories of seeing people fighting for the freedoms and the promise of America that had long been kept from them. As I have traveled across the country, I have spoken with many Americans—including Black men—about their hopes, dreams, hurdles, and worries. Black men and boys deserve a president who sees them, and will help break through the barriers preventing them from building intergenerational wealth and realizing their aspirations. Donald Trump is not that president. Trump’s business career began when he was investigated for refusing to rent property to Black families. His entry into public life was when he took out a full-page ad in the New York Times calling for the execution of the Central Park Five—innocent Black teenagers who were later exonerated. As president, he called majority-Black nations “shitholes.” Today, Trump’s Project 2025 agenda would give him unchecked power, posing an even more serious threat to Black communities. He would bring back stop-and-frisk, roll back civil and voting rights, and implement a national sales tax costing families an average of $4,000 per year. We can’t go back—and we do not have to. Today, I’m announcing an Opportunity Agenda for Black Men. It will, among other things, provide 1 million fully forgivable loans to entrepreneurs, and protect cryptocurrency investments so people who make them know their money is safe. It will launch a National Health Equity Initiative focused on illnesses that disproportionately impact Black men like sickle cell disease and diabetes. And it will legalize recreational marijuana and ensure that all Americans have opportunities to succeed as this new industry takes shape. When we invest in Black men—their dreams, aspirations, and ambitions—we are stronger.