Statement from Black Policy Day on Vice President Kamala Harris

President Joseph R. Biden Jr. announced that he would be stepping aside from his re-election campaign to focus on fulfilling his duties as President for the remainder of his term. In his announcement, President Biden extended his thanks to and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to serve as the Democratic nominee for the 47th President of the United States.

In response to this significant news, Black Policy Day in West Virginia, founded by three Black women, Katonya Hart, Shanequa Smith, and Crystal Good, reaffirms our commitment to empowering and mobilizing our communities. We stood in unison with the 44,000 Black women who joined a call on Sunday, July 21, 2024 to unify around Harris as the Presidential nominee.

Black Policy Day highlights the vital issues affecting Black West Virginians, emphasizing the importance of policies over political performances. Our mission is to educate, engage, and unite Black women and our communities to fight for progress and justice. From supporting the CROWN (creating respectable and open word for natural 

hairstyles) Act to addressing broader issues such as funding for education, women’s rights, and LGBTQ+ rights, our focus remains on advancing our community’s well-being.

Plans are already underway and preparation has started for Black Policy Day 2025, to be held at the State Capitol on March 10, 2025 Black Policy Day stands as a beacon of hope and a powerful voice in central Appalachia, and we stand with Vice President Kamala Harris.