Vote on Policies, Not People: A Pastor’s Perspective

"Why don't you support Vice President Kamala Harris?" This is the question that Rev. Joshua C. Robertson, a pastor from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, hears a lot. People expect him to back the first Black woman with a serious chance at becoming president, but he hasn't. Not because he endorses former president Donald Trump either. His answer is simple: Black churches should focus on principled policies, just like during the Civil Rights Movement. Rev. Robertson was raised on stories from the 1950s and '60s, told by his father who grew up in the segregated South. Black churches played a big role back then, pushing for freedom and equal justice. They wanted real opportunities for Black communities and urged people to vote based on core American principles, not just on candidates. The 1963 March on Washington is a great example. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a young and engaged pastor, led this historic event. Black churches organized it, not to back any politician, but to push leaders from both parties to do what's right. They wanted policies that ended segregation and boosted economic mobility.

Today, Black communities need more than just politicians who look like them. They need leaders who support the right policies and principles. Education freedom is a big deal now, just like equal treatment was in the past. Most Black voters in Pennsylvania and across the nation support school-choice policies. This lets kids access schools that fit their needs better. But both major candidates have fallen short on addressing the education crisis. Vice President Harris, for one, opposes most school-choice options. So, endorsing her might make it seem like it's okay to ignore what Black voters want. Rev. Robertson believes Black pastors shouldn't just back one politician or party. Instead, they should educate voters and push leaders to do better. That's what Dr. King and earlier leaders did. They called voters to look beyond a politician's skin color and focus on their agenda and commitment to American principles.

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