“If you are white, you enjoy freedom, rights and all the privileges that come with it, Richards said to a group of young people as he canvassed for votes in the neighborhood. “But if you are Black, you have to struggle daily to gain your freedom, rights and justice in this country. The current protests across are a testimony that blacks in the US are still not free,” he said. 

Richards is one of nine candidates running for District 49. 

Richards moved to Staten Island over 20 years ago after graduating from high school in Africa. His father is Liberian and his mother is Ghanaian.  As a child he spent time in a refugee camp in Ghana. He later studied law and has been a public defender attorney for almost a decade in the borough 

Richards said, since declaring his intention to run for office, he has been a  victim of a hate crime.

Through his public defender job he has seen and heard first hand how police have been unfairly treating African Americans in Staten Island. 

“There is a relationship between low education and crime,” he said. “Most of the crimes committed like drugs consumption, gang violence, drunk driving are committed more by high school dropouts. This means, the more educated a Black man is, the less likely for him or her to commit these crimes in the community.”

As he knocked on doors, searching for votes, Richards told African American and African residents that over policing is impacting negatively the community.

“Due to the over policing of black communities, cops will see more crimes in those communities than in the white majority neighborhoods whose population is more than the blacks,” he said. “That’s why my agenda is to reform the criminal justice system and push for the rights of minorities in decision making processes.”

In a 2019 Center survey conducted by Pew research center,  84% of Black adults said they believe that they are treated less fairly.

Richards said African Americans  are also disproportionately affected by the coronavirus.

“Blacks are frontline workers more than other races,” he said.”They are the less privileged and those suffering from poverty and unemployment than all others.”

Richards urged the community to think critically about the next election as the fate of Black America is at stake.

“We can protest from January to December, but if we don’t vote for the right people in the election, our suffering will stay the same,” he said.  

Voter Lassanah Gray, said that Staten Island needs a selfless representative that will be able to deliver the high expectations of  the borough’s African Americans. 

He said he is supporting Richards because of his work in the community defending poor black people in conflict with the law. 

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Since announcing her plan to run for president in 2020, Kamala Harris has gained nationwide attention, particularly among black women voters.

“As a black women, and also as a biracial black women, looking at her there is so much that I identify with,” said Natalie Johnson, an associate producer at MSNBC who has long been following Harris’s journey. “I think she could really shake things up, and she is just a strong candidate.”

As a group, black women voters are widely predicted to be the most targeted demographic for Democratic hopefuls in the 2020 elections. As a black woman herself, and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, which the oldest black sorority in America, Harris would appear to have a unique edge over other candidates. Yet, black women as a group are far from monolithic and have a diverse range of political opinions and priorities.

“As a black female, I am extremely proud that we are in a place and time in our country, and in a moment where a woman of color is able to say I am going to run for the President of the United States,” said Monica Johnson,  an Atlanta writer and founder of Maj Experts. “But we’re not a monolithic group, and so you have people saying ‘I’m not voting for her just because she’s black.’”

Despite this, many black women have been celebrating Harris’s announcement of candidacy—including those who are still deciding who to vote for.

“I won’t say I’m going to vote XYZ, because it’s too early and I don’t know who all my choices will be,” said Monica Johnson. “But it doesn’t take away from how important, historically, this moment is for women and women of color.”

If Kamala Harris were to win the presidential race in 2020, she would be breaking through several glass ceilings. Not only would she be the first woman president of the United States, but she would also be the first black woman president as well as the first Asian president. For many, her campaign is a beacon of hope for the future minority women in politics.

“Can you imagine if she was president, and a whole generation of younger black girls in this country only knew that the president of the United States was another black woman, or another woman of color?” said Natalie Johnson. “What a different world that would be to live in.”

One group that has been particularly vocal about their support for Harris has been her Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority sisters, who have continued to show their support on Twitter and other social media platforms. NAACP Vice President Jacqueline Labayne not only shares Harris’s home state of California, but is also in the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. For her, Harris was not only an idol while growing up, but was also one of her inspirations for joining the sorority.

“There has definitely been celebration [within Alpha Kappa Alpha],” said Labayne. “I think everyone is really excited, and social media has been going crazy. I’m proud to be a part of such an amazing organization, to where we have a hopeful presidential nominee.”  

Despite vocal support from many, Harris faces a tough road ahead. In an opinion piece for the Guardian, criminal justice professor Shanita Hubbard expressed skepticism about Harris, and urged readers not to assume that Harris will automatically have the support of black women. Like many others, Hubbard voiced concerns over Harris’s history as a criminal prosecutor, and questioned how her work may have contributed to the systematic harm against the black community.

“You might have some early momentum, but it does not mean that anyone is a shoe in.” said Dr. Sharon D. Allison-Ottey of Maryland, who is happy about Harris’s initial announcement but waiting to consider all of the candidates before making a final decision. “It is not a given because she is an African American female, that all African Americans should vote for her.

However, there is one major factor in the 2020 election that has proven to be particularly unifying for the black community: Trump. According to a poll conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 92% of African Americans disapprove of the current president. In a time when the midterm elections saw the most diverse results ever, and with women like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez winning upset victories, this could be Harris’s chance to make history.

“Regardless of the outcome, I wish her well,” said Monica Johnson “But regardless of the outcome, she has still done something that is remarkable and will be noted in the history books at some point.”

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