Michigan Politics: Black Conservative Group Launches Pro-Israel Campaign

A Washington, DC-based nonprofit is running a media campaign in Michigan to align Black Christian voters with Israel and the Jewish community. The effort has launched in the final days of a competitive US Senate race between Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed and Republican challenger Mike Rogers.

The Center for Urban Renewal and Education, or CURE, has purchased yard signs for placement in Detroit, Flint, and Ypsilanti. The signs bear the message “Blacks and Jews Standing Together.” The organization is also funding billboards in the region with the slogans “Self Defense is Not Genocide” and “Many Black Evangelicals Agree that Israel Has a Right to Exist.”

Star Parker, the director of CURE, explained the strategy in an email to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. She stated the goal is to remind Black Christian voters of specific reasons to stand with Israel. The signage does not name either candidate, but it targets a demographic that has historically supported the Democratic Party.

El-Sayed has faced pressure from two key voter groups. He has struggled to maintain support among Jewish voters following his comments on Israel and Jewish safety. He has also faced challenges in securing the Black vote, as many Black Detroiters initially favored his primary rival, US Rep. Haley Stevens, in the earlier part of the campaign.

A recent poll commissioned by the Detroit News indicates a shift in the final days. The data suggests that 87% of likely Black voters now support El-Sayed. This trend contrasts with the earlier preference for Stevens, who decided in late October to endorse Rogers instead.

Parker told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency she believes Stevens' endorsement has given Rogers a decisive advantage with Black voters. “Their support for Israel needed a boost,” Parker said. “I believe this endorsement has taken Mike Rogers over the finish line with black voters.”

The campaign follows an interfaith roundtable held in Detroit on Oct. 22. The event featured Rabbi Aaron Bergman of Adat Shalom in Farmington Hills alongside local Black pastors. Bergman noted over email that the session focused on teaching about antisemitism rather than partisan politics.

“It was mostly about teaching about antisemitism, which I guess at this point in history is political,” Bergman wrote. The organization seeks to rebuild a historic alliance between Black and Jewish communities that has faced strain in recent years.

Tensions between Black and Arab communities in Michigan may also influence the vote. Sam Robinson, a Detroit-based reporter, noted a scarcity mindset among some voters regarding resources. He observed that some perceive Arabs as taking a portion of resources available to Black people.

Rogers has targeted this dynamic with paid advertising. A super PAC linked to the Republican candidate has run ads claiming El-Sayed has been disrespectful and dishonest with Black voters. Meanwhile, El-Sayed has visited Black churches and held events with former President Barack Obama and Rep. Jim Clyburn to drive turnout.

Other indicators suggest Palestinian rights remain a priority for some Michigan Black voters. In August, state Rep. Donavan McKinney, a democratic socialist and pro-Palestinian advocate, defeated a pro-Israel incumbent in a primary in a majority-Black Detroit-area district. During one campaign stop, a community organizer also confronted Stevens about her support for Israel.