USVI Gov. Albert Bryan, Jr. is supporting Kamala Harris for president. He is one of two Black governors in the country.
“It was like a party,” Albert Bryan, Jr. tells BLACK ENTERPRISE. “There’s so much energy, and it almost feels like she’s unbeatable with the amount of energy in the room.”
As a U.S. territory, this is the only official part of the voting process the USVI will have. Residents of USVI and other U.S. territories are not entitled to electoral votes for president, so they can’t vote in the presidential election but can vote in the primaries.
Bryan spoke with BLACK ENTERPRISE about the energy at the DNC, priorities he hopes the next president will consider in the USVI, and what it’s like being one of two Black governors in the U.S.
BLACK ENTERPRISE: Can you describe the excitement at the DNC?
BRYAN: You know how I know people are excited? I passed [notable] people in the hall, like Spike Lee, U.S. Representatives Bennie Thompson, and Gregory Meeks, and no one was paying attention to them because everyone was there for one single purpose: to support Vice President Harris.
There are a lot of young voters and voters who weren’t engaged before excited about Harris’s run. There are a lot of people of color in the room that had me asking, ‘Did the demographics in America change?’ because [it’s clear] African Americans are coming out to vote for Vice President Harris. It’s inspiring to see.
BE: What are the top priorities for the USVI with the next person elected president?
BRYAN: At the top of the list is a continuation of the recovery. We just went through a tropical storm that only had winds of 65 miles an hour, yet we had people without power for a week. We want to finish that recovery and give energy independence to individual homes, so if the power lines go down or the power goes out for any reason, they can get power.
Healthcare is paramount. The baby boomers are getting older and living longer, and being able to take care of that generation will put extreme stress on us. We only have one hospital on each island. We’ve had universal healthcare before anybody. We will take care of you no matter what’s wrong with you. It’s going to be an extreme burden on the general fund budget. Right now, we’re pushing to make people healthier.
Inflation is another significant priority. An affordable home in the USVI is half a million dollars, and it will get worse because we’re doing so much construction. We’re growing so fast that it’s putting much pressure on people. We already have a 33% poverty rate.
BE: What is your reaction to being one of two Black governors nationwide?
BRYAN: It’s lonely. We need more than me and Maryland Governor Wes Moore. Moore is a dynamic guy with a bright future […], but we need more.
BE: You are a Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. member. Can you talk about the excitement within the Greek community?
BRYAN: We are all excited. We have a nationwide [campaign] to register 1911 voters for each chapter. We’re calling our friends within the states to make sure they register to vote.
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Source: Black Enterprise
