El-Sayed Pledges To Bridge Divide With Black Voters, Saying Some Have Had Negative Experiences With Those Who ‘Look Like Me’

Dr. Abdul El-Sayed acknowledged that he has to bridge the gap between Arab American and black voters during a sit-down interview at a restaurant, where he dined on fried chicken and said “too many black Detroiters” have had bad experiences with someone who “looks like me” and has a similar name. Dr. El-Sayed won the Democratic primary over the summer by only a single point, driven largely by young voters, more progressive, college-educated white voters, and union members. His opponent, Congresswoman Haley Stevens, did far better with the older black voters who have long been the base of the Democratic Party. In an interview at a Washington, D.C., restaurant with the publisher of The Root, Ashley Allison, Dr. El-Sayed had a plate of fried chicken and discussed those racial tensions, saying he knows that other Arab Americans have mistreated some black Michiganders in the past. Dr. El-Sayed said some black voters, especially those in Detroit, may only interact with Arab Americans at gas stations or other small shops, speaking with them through bulletproof glass. He said black voters may have been treated poorly by Arab Americans, including the Arab Americans who talk down to black people, the men who cat call black women, Arab Americans who sell cigarettes to kids, or those who deny patrons bathrooms. “I … understand that, like, if that’s your experience with somebody whose name is like mine, that leaves a terrible taste in your mouth,” he said. He argued that part of the problem is that tens of millions of dollars were spent against him in the primary to highlight some of his past criticisms of black leaders, including the Obamas. “That primary, we got outspent 11-to-one, right? Most of that spending was spending intended to break my relationship with the black community,” Dr. El-Sayed said. “Unfortunately, it was not that hard to break because for too many black Detroiters in particular, their experience with somebody who looks like me is not a good one.”Some of the ads that were run during the primary included highlighting Dr. El-Sayed’s past criticisms of first lady Michelle Obama’s healthy food for kids initiative. In a 2010 op-ed for the Guardian, Dr. El-Sayed wrote that the initiative was “ineffectual” and “uninspired” — words which were later spun into an ad to paint Dr. El-Sayed as someone who does not respect women more broadly.Part of the problem for Dr. El-Sayed may be that he’s too left-wing for some black voters, which Ms. Stevens argued during the primary, saying that she was the only person capable of putting together a coalition to win. Dr. El-Sayed himself is not a socialist, but some of America’s most famous socialists — Senator Bernie Sanders, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — were critical to his victory. Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, another democratic socialist, also campaigned with Dr. El-Sayed during the primary campaign. According to Pew Research, black Democrats are far less likely to have a positive view of socialists than other Democrats. According to a racial breakdown, 20 percent of Hispanic Democrats view socialists positively and 21 percent black Democrats say the same. Asian Democrats are slightly higher, with 30 percent having a positive view of socialists. White Democrats have the highest share, with 40 percent saying they have a positive view. Dr. El-Sayed said that he wants to break that cycle, however, and show voters that he can bridge the gap between black and Arab American Michiganders. “For me, the commitment to equity has been the foundation of my work,” he said, arguing that he, more than almost any other U.S. senator, will be the lawmaker most indebted to black voters and the Civil Rights movement. Dr. El-Sayed’s opponent, Mike Rogers, has been running ads calling directly on black voters to back him over Dr. El-Sayed. The ads argue that the Democrat cares far more about Palestine than he does Detroit, and that black voters should not trust him to look out for their communities. “El-Sayed only cares about one issue,” a newad from Mr. Rogers states, then cutting together several clips of Dr. El-Sayed repeatedly saying “Gaza” in quick succession. “And black voters know it,” the text of Mr. Rogers’ ad reads. “El-Sayed wants to represent Palestine. Rogers wants to represent Michigan,” the ad concludes.

El-Sayed Pledges To Bridge Divide With Black Voters, Saying Some Have Had Negative Experiences With Those Who ‘Look Like Me’

El-Sayed Pledges To Bridge Divide With Black Voters, Saying Some Have Had Negative Experiences With Those Who ‘Look Like Me’

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