Actor Wendell Pierce issued a strong message to Black men at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Tuesday.

“There’s blood on that ballot box. Remember those who died in the rivers of Alabama and Mississippi. For them, do the honor and vote,” Pierce, known for roles in The Wire and Suits, told MSNBC’s Joy Reid on the convention floor. Though 83 percent of Black voters are Democrats or lean Democratic, according to Pew Research Center, former President Trump has been hoping to build support among Black voters by focusing on Black men. Trump has campaigned in predominantly Black communities, such as the South Bronx in New York, as well as started a sneaker line and tried to connect with Black men over the criminal justice system after facing his legal woes. But Black voters remain a crucial base for Democrats, having helped secure President Biden and Vice President Harris the White House in 2020.  But since Biden ended his re-election bid and Harris announced her candidacy, there has been speculation among Black communities that Black men would not vote for Harris for a variety of reasons – from her history as a prosecutor to concerns that Black men would not be open to supporting a Black woman. But Pierce said there should be no fear among Black men to see a Black woman rise to the top.  “Any Black man that has an issue with a Black woman rising, they have to look at their own inadequacy,” said Pierce. “What would make you so fearful of someone who was so beloved of you, who was so loving to you, like your mother and your grandmother and your aunts and your sisters, that you cannot be proud and embolden yourself when you see someone from your community rise up?” Pierce added that voters have the right to ask Harris what she has done for the Black community but to do their research at the same time.  Pierce pointed to the $2 billion that the Biden-Harris administration gave back to Black farmers after they faced discrimination from the USDA, investments in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and student loan forgiveness.  “If that’s not enough for you to vote for this campaign, why don’t you go to the other and hold up a sign behind him at a rally and tap dance – that’s what they want,” Pierce concluded.

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