President Donald Trump recently unveiled his “Platinum Plan,” a policy plan meant to give aid to Black communities across the United States with economic incentives and criminal justice reform. The plan was presented fewer than 40 days before election night at a “Black Voices for Trump” event in Atlanta, Georgia, where thousands of people were in attendance for his announcement.

President Trump’s numbers with support from Black voters have jumped around 9% to roughly 21 percent after his speeches at the Republican National Convention. With the exception of George W. Bush after Sep. 11 of 2001, having 48 percent of Black support due to the rally effect, Trump has maintained almost the same level of Black support over his term, the highest in the Grand Old Party since 1973. With the racial and ethnic voter makeup in the nation evolving as more people are encouraged and able to vote, both parties have adapted their messages to fit and accommodate these new voters.

“I think this plan is a step in the right direction for the economic and social futures of Black Americans across the nation. Elevating the Black community is an important issue in this nation and seeking reform must be done,” sophomore Sofia Rodriguez said.

The Platinum Plan contains many different components, one of which is spurring economic change and growth in Black communities. Unemployment has been a long time issue in the Black community, peaking at 16.8 percent in 2012 under President Obama’s administration in the last 20 years, and getting as low as 7.7 percent by 2018 under President Trump’s administration before COVID-19. Providing millions of new jobs to Black Americans and aiding the start of more than five hundred thousand black-owned businesses with financial aid and a loan program that would allow access of more than five hundred billion dollars to black communities to incentivize growth.

“I think that overall, it would help out lower-income communities, and is a step towards reducing crime and racial inequalities in minority neighborhoods,” sophomore Austin Yagoda said.

The Ku Klux Klan and Antifa are designated by the US Department of State as terrorist organizations, and the KKK has committed hate crimes across the nation over the past two centuries. The KKK was started in 1865 by confederate war veterans in Tennessee. They founded it as a means to push back and disenfranchise Black Americans in the state and later on a national level and are known as a conservative, right-wing hate group.

Antifa is a disorganized band of individuals who are against fascism across the United States and seek to establish autonomous areas within the nation. They usually show up to far left-wing protests and have a tendency to erupt in violence. The plan would deem both domestic terror organizations that would make it illegal for members to congregate and spread their ideas. This also follows the plan’s commitment to make lynching a national hate crime. This act would raise the conviction time for offenders and discourage such violent actions.

Lastly, the proposal would address another major problem in black communities today, wrongful criminal justice convictions. In the United States, Black Americans are 12 times more likely to be wrongfully convicted of drug possession, and seven times more likely to be convicted for murder charges. The Platinum Plan would seek to not only exonerate individuals who have been wrongfully convicted but that have also shown clear signs of reform and are ready to be integrated back into society to live better lives. Trump said, “[The Platinum Plan] would right wrongful prosecutions and to pardon individuals who have reformed,” at his announcement rally.

The Platinum Plan would be established in the incumbent President’s second term, should he be reelected, and would take effect in the coming months. The election results will provide an answer to whether this plan comes to fruition or not, meaning that the people of the United States will decide in November.

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