Keisha Lance Bottoms took her gubernatorial campaign to the pews of Jackson Memorial Baptist Church in southwest Atlanta last Sunday. Speaking at a men’s month celebration, the Democratic candidate pushed back on a growing narrative that has gained traction since the 2024 presidential election, the idea that Black men are somehow responsible for Democratic losses.
“To put the burden of this democracy on Black men is an unfair burden for Black men to carry,” Bottoms told the congregation as reported by CBS News.
It’s a response to post-election conversations that have placed Black male voters under a microscope following Republican gains with that demographic in key battleground states. While Black voters remained a cornerstone of the Democratic base in 2024, the results reignited debates around voter engagement, turnout, and whether the party is speaking to the issues that actually matter to Black men.
For Bottoms, the answer is simple, and it starts with accountability, not blame. “If Black men are saying that there is an issue, it’s because we aren’t speaking to their issues,” she said.
Rather than pointing fingers, Bottoms pivoted to policy, centering her remarks around the economic and quality-of-life concerns she believes resonate most with Black men across Georgia.
“The Black men that I know care about good jobs in our communities,” she said. “The Black men that I know care about support of small businesses. The Black men that I know care about access to great healthcare, affordable healthcare.”
The speech was also personal. Bottoms, who grew up in Atlanta’s Collier Heights neighborhood, wove her family’s Georgia roots throughout her remarks, including a childhood memory of traveling to England while her father, R&B singer Major Lance, performed overseas.
She recalled believing at the time that “all of the white people lived in England and all the Black people lived in Atlanta” until a trip to a grocery store challenged everything she thought she knew. It was a small story about Atlanta’s evolution and the racial realities that have shaped generations of Georgians.
Bottoms also spoke candidly about voting rights, recounting a recent experience accompanying her 18-year-old son to cast his first ballot alongside her mother, a woman who came of age when Black Americans still faced systemic barriers to the polls.
“To now stand with my 18-year-old son and for him to face many of the same challenges, for generations that we thought had fought these battles and won, really speaks to who we are called to be in this moment,” she said.
Bottoms didn’t attack Republican opponents during her speech; instead, she focused on civic engagement and the responsibility of community members to stay active through voting, advocacy, and public service.
With Black voters making up roughly one-third of Georgia’s electorate, their turnout and the specific concerns of Black men within that bloc are expected to be a defining factor in the 2026 gubernatorial race. Bottoms appears to understand that winning that vote isn’t about assumed loyalty. It’s about showing up, listening, and delivering on the issues that matter most.
