Bernie Sanders admits getting support from black voters will be an uphill battle

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published 5 October 2015

It's no secret Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) isn't an obvious presidential pick for many black voters. "On the surface, he looks like a concerned 74-year-old grandfather who has spent most of his political career serving the people of a state that is 95 percent white," Ebony quipped.

When the magazine sat down with the Democratic presidential contender for an interview published Monday, Sanders vowed he'll face the odds and work on engaging the black community:

Yes, it's true, I am from a state that is overwhelmingly white. I am also aware that I am running against somebody whose husband is very popular in the African-American community. But, we plan to take our message to the community and so you will see me getting out soon around the country speaking in black communities, telling people about my life history and my message like the fact that I have one of the strongest civil rights voting records in the Congress. I believe once we explain, it will all make sense. [Ebony]

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Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.

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