Kamala Harris’ message to women on ‘freedom’ helps explain why Black and White Christians are deeply divided over support for Donald Trump

Sorority members listen as U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris gives the keynote speech at the Zeta Phi Beta Grand Boulé in Indianapolis on July 24, 2024. Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images by Youssef Chouhoud, Christopher Newport University; Dara Delgado, Allegheny College; Flavio Rogerio Hickel Jr., Washington College, and Leah Payne, George Fox University Just days after President Joe Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential race in July, Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the annual meeting of the Zeta Phi Beta sorority in Indianapolis, where she emphasized the importance of both religious faith and political freedom. Harris contrasted her stance on abortion rights with that of former President Donald Trump, stating, “Across our nation, we are witnessing a full-on assault on hard-fought, hard-won freedoms and rights,” Harris said. “And in the face of these attacks, we must continue to stand together in defense of freedom.” By centering “freedom” in her campaign, Harris invoked a key element of Black identity and spirituality rooted in the historic struggle for liberation by formerly enslaved people. This legacy partly drives an attitudinal divide between Black and White Christians, especially on issues such as abortion and support for Trump. As political science and religion scholars,...