At the First Democratic Debate, Black Lives Mattered for Exactly One Question

[portlander23]

At the First Democratic Debate, Black Lives Mattered for Exactly One Question
Jamil Smith
New Republic

About halfway through Tuesday night’s Democratic presidential debate, CNN moderator Anderson Cooper said, “I want to talk about issues of race in America. For that, I want to start off with Don Lemon.” I shuddered. For one thing, there’s the whole let’s-go-to-the-black-guy-to-ask-about-race thing, which was followed later in the debate by an instance of let’s-go-to-the-Latino-guy-to-ask-about-immigration. But I was primarily concerned that Lemon, known for his empty stunts and bizarre remarks, might ask one of his own questions. I feared it would be laced with the rubbish respectability politics that have earned him side-eyes from black viewers and interview subjects alike.

Bernie Sanders, the wildcard Senator from Vermont, was first up. “Black lives matter,” he replied when the question was thrown to him first, slamming the easiest rhetorical home run he’ll ever hit in his life. He then launched a passionate and effective barrage of talking points. “The reason those words matter is the African American community knows that on any given day, some innocent person like Sandra Bland can get into a car, and then three days later, she’s going to end up dead in jail. Or their kids are going to get shot.” He then promised to combat institutional racism “from top to bottom,” emphasizing the need for criminal justice reforms to stem mass incarceration. “And I intend to tackle that issue,” he said, “to make sure that our people have education and jobs, rather than jail cells.”

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, took a smart shot at the Republican Party for obstructing her former boss “at every turn.” She called for reforming the criminal justice system—including giving body cameras to police officers in the field—but also for passing bipartisan sentencing reform and following up on the recommendations from the Justice Department’s Task Force for 21st Century Policing. She pushed the structural racism discussion further, calling for a “new New Deal” for people of color.

It was good talk. But there was no back-and-forth about racial justice issues at this debate. And the question itself was most to blame.

Related:

Bernie Sanders: Black Lives Matter

I Support Bernie Sanders for President and I Also Support the Black Lives Matter Takeover in Seattle

[Hortensis]

1. BLM is an infinitely small part of the 13% of all black Americans,

and they do not represent all black Americans, even if most appreciate their actions for bringing black concerns forward. A question WAS devoted to race, in which many issues of importance were discussed.

You might better have complained that not one question was devoted to women. We're not just half of the population. Half of all blacks and other minorities are women. Yet we are still extensively discriminated against individually and structurally. Almost every successful black woman believes that of gender and race gender was her biggest barrier to success.

Why no question for us? Don't women's lives matter?

[NuclearDem]

2. Veterans mattered for one question as well.

Thank God we got questions about Sanders honeymooning in the USSR and Clinton's emails, though. Absolutely urgent, pressing and relevant issues.