Republicans are trying to court Black voters, but Milwaukeeans say it'll take more

At Coffee Makes You Black, a cafe about two miles north of Fiserv Forum, the owner, employees and patrons all agreed on one thing: Nobody from the Republican National Convention had made an effort to reach out to their community.

Both political parties — Republicans and Democrats — needed to actually come to their community, speak with Black citizens and enact policies that will help in order to win their enthusiasm, these voters said.

The Journal Sentinel interviewed 10 Black voters in Milwaukee during the convention week about whether the Republican Party hosting its convention in the city changed their minds about the November election.

Republicans have been trying to court Black voters to their party ahead of the presidential election, with prominent Black conservatives speaking throughout the RNC.

Since the interviews and RNC, President Joe Biden has dropped out of the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president, who would be the first Black and Asian American woman to lead a major presidential ticket if she gains the Democratic nomination.

Patrons at Coffee Makes You Black said the messaging didn't mean much if there wasn't actionable change for their community.

Republicans, they said, have to do much more to change their minds.

"I feel like they're more so trying to just appeal to the Black community for votes-wise," said India Thurman, a Coffee Makes You Black employee. "They don't necessarily care about what goes on in our community."

Republican Party seeks to court Black voters

During the convention, Republican programming included a push to include more voices from the Black community , which has historically supported the Democratic Party by a wide margin.

In swing-state Wisconsin, the question of whether Black Americans will vote — and whether Republicans can draw some of their votes — could decide the election. With the largest population of Black voters in the state, national attention has focused on cities like Milwaukee.

During the RNC a panel discussion hosted by the Black Republican Mayors Association featured prominent speakers, including Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Black Republican in the U.S. Senate.

More: They are Republicans in a Democratic city. Meet these conservative Milwaukeeans

"As African-American conservatives, sometimes it’s easy to feel like you’re the only one. … You are not the only one," Scott said on the second day of the RNC.

The party sought to include voices that haven't traditionally been expected to vote Republican, including a speaking slot for model and rapper Amber Rose , who called herself a convert to former President Donald Trump, who was nominated as the Republican candidate for the officer during the RNC in Milwaukee.

Yet, despite some Black Republicans' appearances, only 3% of delegates were Black at the 2024 RNC of delegates who reported their ethnicity.

"I realized Donald Trump and his supporters don't care if you're Black, white, gay or straight. It's all love," Rose said the first night of the convention.

The RNC's message didn't resonate with these Black Milwaukee voters

Voters who spoke with the Journal Sentinel said the RNC's pitch didn't sway their politics.

DJ Denson, owner of Coffee Makes You Black, said his business hadn’t been affected, positively or negatively, by the RNC.

Despite being two miles away from a convention that drew approximately 50,000 people, life went on as normal in the coffeehouse.

"I'll just say that I haven't seen a strong Republican presence in my neighborhood or my business, so it sounds good, but the only thing I heard is we got 'Black jobs,'" Denson said, referring to former president Donald Trump’s comment during last month’s debate that drew criticism.

"That kind of rhetoric has always been dangerous with the Republican Party but a lot of things kind of go unchecked — interesting comment, but not surprised," Denson said.

Tony Courtney, a patron in Coffee Makes you Black, predicted the Republican Party would probably pick up "some votes" from their RNC message — he called the convention's appeal to Black voters a "great show" — but said the Democrats would likely pick up support, too after the party's own convention next month in Chicago.

Instead of the political appeals, patrons said they would rather see emphasis on policies that would help their community, including education, homelessness and incarceration — especially with Trump being found guilty of felony crimes.

"We have people that literally have issues in life ... probably don't get a second chance because they're a felon," Michelle Trigg said Wednesday morning. "I don't know if he can have the second chance — he's human just like the rest of us — but why can't they have a second chance?"

Tammi Lee, speaking from Sherman Phoenix marketplace, said Republicans efforts fell flat, as it seemed like they were just trying to pander for votes. She wanted to see more of an emphasis on federal funding helping Milwaukee’s Black community.

"With all the wars and things going on, a lot of the funds are going to different countries when we can really utilize those funds within our own communities," Lee said.

Several criticized Rose’s appearance at the convention, and argued there would have to be more than influencers to sway them.

"Tell them to try harder," Trigg said. "That ain't it, girl."

Voters had mixed feelings about Democratic Party

While they didn't feel swayed by the Republican Party's message, voters weren't all that enthusiastic about the Democrats either.

Thurman said that while there were some exceptions for people running for Milwaukee Common Council, she hasn't seen people coming to Milwaukee's Black community to ask about the issues, Democrats included.

Courtney said both parties have made promises — "it's what politics is all about."

He added that if politicians are doing their jobs and keeping their promises, "that should be enough to keep them in office."

Trigg said the swaying Black voters was not a party issue if they don’t focus on the communities themselves.

“Who's gonna be for us?” Trigg asked. “Who is going to be the voice for us, because they're the voice for themselves. They still don't help us in our everyday life in our community. Republican or Democratic, it doesn’t matter.”

Jessie Opoien and Alison Dirr contributed reporting.

Tristan Hernandez can be reached at thernandez@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Republicans are trying to court Black voters, but Milwaukeeans say it'll take more