Donald Trump appealed directly to African-American voters in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Wednesday, promising a “new deal” for black Americans.

“Every African-American citizen in this country is entitled to a government that puts their jobs wages and security first,” said Trump. “I’m asking today for the honor of your vote and the privilege of being your president.”

“It will be my mission to prove to this country that yesterday does not have to be tomorrow.”

Trump promised the African-American community that “whether you vote for me or not, I will be your greatest champion.” Trump explained that his new deal rested on the three pillars of “safe communities, great education, and high-paying jobs.”

Trump called on African-Americans to “break from the bitter failures of the past and imagine the amazing possibilities for our future,” noting that Democrats have failed the black community. “Their policies have failed at every turn,” Trump said. “They’ve trapped children in failing government schools,” he said, and their “policies have also given rise to crippling crime and … violence.”

The Republican nominee noted the economic devastation in the black community caused free trade deals and mass immigration. “Illegal immigration violates the civil rights of African-Americans,” Trump said. “No group has been more economically harmed by decades of immigration than low-income African-American workers.”

[lz_third_party align=center includes=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlAUQwfOkfQ]

“If I’m president and the executives of Ford Motor Company announce they’re moving their jobs and plants to Mexico, I’m picking up my phone and making a very simple call,” said Trump. “I will tell those executives that if they move those factories to Mexico, I will put a 35-percent tax on their product,” he said. “We won’t let your jobs be stolen from you anymore.”

Trump also offered a slew of economic policies tailored specifically to help struggling, inner-city black communities. Trump said he would introduce various incentives for companies to invest in “blighted inner city neighborhoods,” including a tax holiday. He also promised “financial reforms to make it easier for young African-Americans to get credit,” and to place a “priority on helping African-American businesses get the credit they need.”

[lz_ndn video= 31252041]

As a truly creative idea, Trump said he would “empower cities and states to seek federal disaster relief” in order to rebuild inner-city infrastructure. He also pledged to stop global warming payments to the U.N. and use the $100 billion saved over eight years to invest in infrastructure.

Who do you think would win the Presidency?

By completing the poll, you agree to receive emails from LifeZette, occasional offers from our partners and that you've read and agree to our privacy policy and legal statement.

Trump also said he would prioritize making inner-city communities safer. “I want every African-American child to be able to walk down the street in peace,” he said — and pledged to “invest in training and funding both local and federal law enforcement operations to remove” gangs and drugs from the streets.

“Reduction of crime is not merely a goal. It is a necessity for all of us,” Trump said. He lashed out at the anti-police rhetoric of the Democratic Party and the Clinton campaign. “What’s happening is reckless and dangerous and puts African-American lives at risk,” he said.

[lz_related_box id=”202101″]

To improve education in the inner-cities, Trump pledged to be a staunch supporter of charter schools. “School choice is the great civil rights issue of our time,” he said. He highlighted how his “proposal redirects education spending to allow every disadvantaged child in America to attend [any] school of their choice.”

He also promised to establish a commission “to tackle the school-to-prison pipeline and to shut that pipeline down,” and to “create a new pathway that leads from a great education to a great job.” Trump also promised investments in trade and vocational education, and the “promotion of family and support for the African-American church.”

While Hillary Clinton continues to use African-American voters as props, talking emotionally about systemic racism and how she feels their pain — Trump has offered real solutions to the economic and social challenges faced by inner-city communities.

“It will be my mission to prove to this country that yesterday does not have to be tomorrow,” said Trump. “The vicious cycle of poverty can be broken, and great new things can happen for all of our people.”