Black faith leaders and civil rights activists made their case Friday for Black voters to support Vice President Kamala Harris in next month’s election.

The Democratic National Committee hosted a press call that included DNC Chair Jaime Harrison; civil rights leader Martin Luther King III; his wife, Arndrea Waters King, president of the Drum Major Institute, a civil rights think tank; and Bishop Leah Daughtry of the House of the Lord Church.

It was part of the “Souls to the Polls” initiative, which the Harris campaign says aims to create “authentic moments of engagement with Black voters across battleground states and underscore the high stakes of this election for Black Americans. “

Those on Friday’s virtual press conference said Harris would work to improve the lives of Black Americans and did not pull any punches in going after her opponent, Donald Trump.

“He was a disaster for Black America,” Harrison said. “He ran a racist campaign, he implemented a racist agenda, and his policies were ultimately harmful to many in Black communities across this nation.”

Martin Luther King III said Trump “has always been a man willing to hurt others for his own profit and notoriety, including the Black community.”

“Trump was sued for refusing to rent to Black families as a landlord,” he said. “He took out a full-page ad calling for the execution of the Central Park Five. This is what Trump has always been about: hate, divisiveness and self-interest.”

The Trump campaign called those criticisms "predictable and baseless" and said "they ignore the reality of President Trump’s accomplishments for Black Americans."

"He delivered record-low Black unemployment, secured permanent HBCU funding, and brought investment into Black communities through Opportunity Zones," Janiyah Thomas, the campaign's Black media director, said in a statement to Spectrum News. "The First Step Act reunited families by addressing unfair sentencing—progress that the Biden-Harris administration has failed to build on. Instead, they have left Black families to struggle with rising crime, economic hardships, and inflation that has driven overall prices up by 20.5%, making life unaffordable for many. While they cling to baseless accusations, Trump’s results speak for themselves."

Harrison praised Harris and Biden’s record in helping Black Americans, including by reducing childhood poverty, investing in historically Black colleges and universities, providing student loan relief and helping grow the number of Black-owned business. 

“I know that as President Kamala will keep investing in us,” Harrison said.

The speakers also applauded Harris for campaign promises they say will significantly impact Black communities. 

Earlier this week, Harris announced a handful of new proposals aimed at helping Black men. Harris says she would offer 1 million small-business loans that are forgivable up to $20,000. She also plans to provide training and mentorship programs to prepare Black men for jobs in “high-demand” industries. And she says she would launch a national initiative to better fund efforts to combat health issues that disproportionately affect Black men, including sickle cell disease, diabetes and prostate cancer.

Harris also has said she supports legalizing marijuana and her plan calls for working to ensure that Black men have opportunities to participate as a “national cannabis industry takes shape.” She also is calling for better regulating cryptocurrency to protect Black men and others who invest in digital assets.

“We can fight for opportunity for everyone by showing up at the polls, voting early, mailing your ballot, whatever way you can to participate in this election of a lifetime,” said Daughtry, a former DNC chief of staff. “We need Kamala Harris' bold and visionary leadership to take our communities into the future that we deserve.”

Harris has been placing a greater focus on Black voters in recent days, as polls show former President Donald Trump making inroads with a group traditionally loyal to Democrats.

 A New York Times/Sienna College survey released last weekend found that 78% of likely Black voters support Harris, compared to 15% for Trump. In 2020, Joe Biden carried 92% of the Black vote.

“We invested in voter education and mobilization programs focused on reaching voters of color,” Harrison said. “We're doing everything that we can to reach and educate voters in our community, because our voices are so important and they need to be heard. Our voice is our vote.”

Harris also has done a wave of recent interviews with media that has predominantly Black audiences, including with The Shade Room, journalist Roland Martin and radio host Charlamagne tha God. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.