A voting update from a politically divided Ohio family

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• Amna Nawaz:

  Well, Labor Day marks the traditional start of the presidential campaign's final stretch, but one family in a battleground county has been paying close attention for a while.

  Ohio residents Fred Harris and his grandson Darius Harris first spoke 10 months ago with Steve Goldbloom, the creator of the Brief But Spectacular series.

  Here now is his conversation with them about how they're viewing this critical choice.

• Darius Harris:

  I'm sitting next to my grandfather, Frederick Harris.

• Fred Harris:

  I'm sitting next to my dear grandson Darius Harris.

  I grew up in the '50s and '60s. We fought the civil rights movement, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, the Deep South. When I was a little boy, 8, 9, 10 years old, when we would go downtown, and my mother wanted to use the bathroom, she had to go downstairs in the courthouse in a dungeon in the basement.

  And I couldn't understand, why? Why can't my mother use the bathroom? See, these are the kinds of things that made me angry. And when I did go into the military and I had time to spend in Mississippi and Alabama and Georgia, I seen a different type of racism. And that racism was right in your face.

  I seen people get beat. I seen them get dogs sicced on him. And I said, why? I was angry, I was embarrassed, I was hurt. And I still carry that hurt with me today, because I will never forget it.

• Darius Harris:

  It definitely does make me angry that the world was actually like that a point in time. I couldn't imagine living like that. I would be angry every day.

• Fred Harris:

  That anger and that hurt never goes away. And that'll be with me for the rest of my life.

  The people are angry. They're tired of the Democrats and they're tired of the Republicans. I tell people all the time, you had the Democratic Party over here, you had the Republican Party over here, and you had the people in the middle.

  Politics needs to be given back to the people, not these parties, and that's what happened here in Trumbull County. That's why a traditionally Democratic county went for Donald Trump.

  The key to the Democratic Party in the state of Ohio is the Black vote and the unions. Don't take our vote for granted. Let them win it without us. That's the power of the Black vote.

• Darius Harris:

  My first vote actually was President Obama back in 2012. I was just graduating high school. I felt proud when Obama got elected, because he actually gave me hope that actually a Black man could actually get that high up. I kind of don't see that happening for another 100 years.

• Fred Harris:

  This is where we disagree a little bit. It can happen if you make it happen. And it's called leadership. You have to step forward.

  You know, my grandson tells me he's not interested in politics. And I explained to him, everything that takes place in the United States of America is under a politician.

• Darius Harris:

  Since 2012, every single politician basically, yes, they say one thing, and we're waiting, we're waiting, we're waiting.

• Fred Harris:

  You see, this is where we disagree. I hear what you're saying. So, you know what you do? You go out, and you make them change.

• Darius Harris:

  The current president, I mean, he's — the way he acts is nuts. But…

  (LAUGHTER)

  The way he acts is nuts. But, me personally, I like the way he acts, because it's like he's not afraid.

  I feel he's the best candidate, because, to me, the Democratic Party, they don't have anybody, in my eyes, really that's going to really push anybody.

• Fred Harris:

  He doesn't understand the effect of the stuff that comes out of his mouth. And if we're not careful, he's going to destroy the United States of America.

  I think we got a political turmoil now. And I think history will look back on us in this time and say, wow, what happened?

  What do I derive the most pleasure from? Debating. I hate to say it, but I like to debate. I like to talk to people like my grandson and them, and I like to go back and forth

• Darius Harris:

  My name is Darius Harris.

• Fred Harris:

  My name is Fred Harris.

• Darius Harris:

  And this is our Brief But Spectacular take…

• Fred Harris:

  … on the old and the new.

• Amna Nawaz:

  Well, since the world has changed dramatically in the 10 months since that conversation, Steve Goldbloom recently followed up with Fred and Darius to see if their politics had shifted.

• Steve Goldbloom:

  Fred and Darius Harris, thank you so much for being here. We appreciate it.

• Darius Harris:

  Thank you.

• Steve Goldbloom:

  Well, it's hard to believe that it's been 10 months since we last spoke.

  It feels like it's been longer than that. And I wanted to follow up with you, starting with you, Darius.

  Has your perspective on President Trump changed since we last spoke?

• Darius Harris:

  Back then he was, he was fine.

  But, during the whole pandemic and how everything's been unfolding, I kind of — kind of don't agree with the way — how he's proceeding with things.

• Steve Goldbloom:

  Darius, I just want to be clear. Are you planning on voting for President Trump this November?

• Darius Harris:

  No, sir. Right now, I don't see anybody that I would vote for.

• Steve Goldbloom:

  What was it about Trump's behavior in the past 10 months that pushed you away from him?

• Darius Harris:

  I disagree with basically 85, 95, pretty much 100 percent of everything that he's been doing.

• Steve Goldbloom:

  What do you make of President Trump referring to Black Lives Matter as a symbol of hate?

• Darius Harris:

  Well, to me, he just — he just doesn't understand. I guess he don't the real meaning of what it is, the whole movement, what it's about.

• Steve Goldbloom:

  Mr. Harris, in the video we just played, you describe brutal images of violence, where police sicced dogs on Black people.

  Since the killing of George Floyd, President Trump has said he would sic the most vicious dogs on protesters. How does that kind of language and imagery today make you feel?

• Fred Harris:

  He's just mouthing off for the public. He thinks it'll get him votes. He doesn't understand the impact that that has on people's life, and it's dividing the country.

• Steve Goldbloom:

  Mr. Harris, you describe the Black vote as being crucial in winning the state of Ohio for the presidential election.

  Vice President Biden was not the Democratic nominee when we last spoke. He is today. How do you feel about his chances of winning in your state?

• Fred Harris:

  The reason why Donald Trump outpolled Hillary four years ago is because she could not turn out the Black vote, not that Biden is going to turn the Black vote out, because he's not that great either.

  What's going to turn the Black vote out is Donald Trump.

• Steve Goldbloom:

  Darius, how do you feel about Vice President Biden as a candidate?

• Darius Harris:

  Me personally, I don't — I don't like Joe Biden as a candidate, or — he did all right as vice president, but, to me, Joe Biden really isn't on my list.

• Steve Goldbloom:

  Vice President Joe Biden announced that Senator Kamala Harris would be his running mate. She's a woman of color. How do you feel about her addition to the ticket?

• Darius Harris:

  I felt like he's just doing that to get the vote.

• Steve Goldbloom:

  Mr. Harris?

• Fred Harris:

  That will rally the Black people like you have never seen in the United States of America to vote.

  And the Republicans, there's no way they can suppress that Black vote. It's history, no different than when Barack Obama was elected.

• Steve Goldbloom:

  OK.

  Well, I recognize that you two have different opinions on this, but one thing that does come through is the overwhelming respect and warmth that you two have for each other as family.

  So, we appreciate that, and we appreciate you taking time for us today. Thanks a lot.

• Darius Harris:

  Thank you for having us.

• Fred Harris:

  Thank you.

• Amna Nawaz:

  And you can find all of our Brief But Spectacular stories online. That's at PBS.org/NewsHour/Brief.