Jaime Harrison Senate ad focuses on community and police accountability

The Orangeburg, South Carolina native is trying to unseat longtime incumbent Sen. Lindsay Graham.

Jul 2, 2020

Jaime Harrison thegrio.com — Jaime Harrison on the campaign trail. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

Jaime Harrison has released an ad about the need for police reform and accountability, addressing it to his sons as he seeks to unseat Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) in their South Carolina Senate race.

The “My Community” ad is narrated by the Black Democrat who has raised millions in his bid to replace the GOP senator who is closely aligned to President Donald Trump. Recent polling has shown that the race is competitive with the politicians tied at 42%.

In the two-minute clip, he addresses his two “amazing Black boys” and repeatedly asks how he will tell them about a world that views them as threats.

“How do I explain to my two little boys they could be treated differently because of the color of their skin?” he asks as his words are seen on-screen over images depicting his children.

“It’s my worst nightmare to know what could happen someday while they’re walking home from the store, jogging in the neighborhood or being pulled over by the police. How do I tell them that this prejudice could incite those who are sworn to protect and serve them to one day hurt and kill them? How do I tell them?”

The Georgetown University alum says that he and the Black community are tired. He says the weight of “hate and justice” has become too much for Black people to beat.

“When I flip on the news, I see a community crying out in pain and seeking relief. We are done with the racial profiling, bias, and over-policing that have plagued our communities for generations. We are tired of lawmakers responding to hate crimes with prayers but no meaningful works,” he says.

Harrison maintains that he is running for Graham’s seat in the reliably red state in order to be a difference-maker. He says he will put into action proposals that will bring relief to those who need it most and not just offer “lip service” which he thinks Graham has done.

“It is past time to demilitarize the police, to toughen hate crime legislation, to end private prisons and cash bail. To train law enforcement officials on implicit bias and ways to deescalate situations,” he says.

“But most importantly, it is time to allocate needed resources to building trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. I will not stop fighting until everyone across our nation can feel safe in their neighborhoods, their schools, and places of worship.”

The ad also features a quote from author James Baldwin about how change can be achieved.

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced”

Harrison ended the campaign video by urging everyone to do their part.

“For the sake of my sons and all of our children, we must address these deep rotted injustices and move forward as a state and nation together,” he said.

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