Written by Tanya Terry, with photos by L.M .Land and video by Anthony Davis
At the recent A New Way Forward Rally for Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris, a racially mixed crowd of about 6,000 people celebrated with shouts, music and dancing as if Harris had already won the election.
The event was held on October 4 at the Dort Financial Center.
U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow stated: “everything is on the line” during this year’s presidential election.
“We love Michigan; we love our families; we love our communities, and we know everything is on the line,” said Stabenow.
Stabenow elaborated, making it known that by “everything” she was referring to personal freedoms, ability for women to make health care decisions, the economy and good paying union jobs.
“And in fact our very democracy is on the line,” added Stabenow.
Stabenow spoke further on reproductive freedom.
“”I don’t care if it’s a state politician, or a federal politician, or a county commissioner. They don’t have the right to make my health care decisions.”
Stabenow also pointed out Americans were going to be seeing electric vehicles.
“The question is will they be Chinese made or American made. I want them to be American made, and I want them made in places like Flint, Detroit and Saginaw.”
Stabenow also brought up that Vice Presidential Candidate for Donald Trump, JD Vance had to “audacity” to say the Trump Administration would not necessarily honor the Biden administration’s $500 million federal grant to GM to convert a Cadillac sedan assembly plant in Michigan into a future electric vehicle plant.
U.S. Senator Gary Peters said Flint is the birthplace of birthplace of the labor movement and the home of several unions.
“You deserve to retire with dignity,” Peters said to the people of Flint.
“We’re here today because the American dream that was born in Flint is still alive,” stated UAW President Shawn Fain.
Fain also stated: “We’ve seen with Kamala Harris, electric vehicle battery workers double their wages.”
Governor Gretchen Whitmer said under the Biden-Harris Administration the first auto assembly plant in Detroit in more than 30 years created 6,000 jobs. She said five new factories created jobs in Michigan in Lansing, Marshall, Big Rapids, Van Buren Township and Holland Michigan.
“And hometown company here General Motors is investing a billion dollars in Flint Assembly and Flint Metal Center,” Whitmer added.
Businessman and Former Professional Basketball Player Earvin “Magic” Johnson said he knew about the middle class because he came from a middle class family. He called on Black men in particular to vote.
Kamala Harris stressed she would work hard to end the housing shortage and that her administration would provide first-time homebuyers with $25000 to help with the down payment on a new home.
She said over 250,000 jobs were created last month and unemployment has fell.
Harris said she would invest in communities like Flint that helped build the auto industry continue prioritizing jobs, including those that did not require a college degree.
In her speech Harris, who referred to and her supporters as “underdogs,” added she planned on lowering costs on everything from healthcare to groceries.
“I will always put the middle class and working families first,” Harris stated. “I came from the middle class and I will not forget where I came from.”
