Mark Fisher the co-founder of Black Lives Matter Rhode Island told the NY Post he was voting for Donald Trump.
Fisher endorsed Trump back in November 2023, claiming the Democratic Party did not represent the interests of Black Americans, stating, “The Democratic Party is not for us.”
In his latest interview Fisher reaffirmed his support for Trump, adding that he “definitely will not be supporting Kamala Harris,” whom he believes would be detrimental to the country if she gained power.
“If she ever got anywhere close to power, it would be a disaster for this country,” Fisher said.
Fisher said he was frustrated over what he views as a lack of progress in Black communities under Democratic leadership, highlighting issues in urban school districts and ongoing challenges with crime and poverty as reasons he believes Black voters should reconsider their loyalty to the Democratic Party.
“For so long, we’ve just been blindly loyal to the Democratic Party for no reason,” Fisher said. “They have given us no reason to maintain such loyalty.”
On the other hand, Trump had put in place a number of policies while president which had positively impacted black communities.
“He implemented opportunity zones for the black community… where there were incentivised investments into the black neighbourhoods, which we needed to re-vitalise our dying economy.”
The national Black Lives Matter organisation and the Black Lives Matter Rhode Island PAC have distanced themselves from Fisher, calling his support of Trump “a publicity stunt.” Fisher’s statements however, demonstrate a shift in Trump support, with some pundits predicting as many as 1 in 4 black male voters will back the former president.
Fisher now leads a Maryland-based organization called ‘BLM INCORPORATED,’ which states its mission is to empower African American communities in Maryland through entrepreneurship education and financial empowerment.
