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


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]
After Black Lives Matter protesters interrupted Sanders on the campaign trail, he agreed to meet with the activists to talk race. He told Ebony those meetings have gone well, highlighting the connection between activists' goals and his own platform of reforming the criminal justice system.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"I think for most whites, their experience with the police has been good or neutral because they don't interact with the police as much as those in the black community," Sanders said. "That was made very clear to me, and so I have found those meetings to be very useful. It speaks again for the need for criminal justice reform in a very significant way."
Check out his full interview here.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
Elon Musk slams Trump's 'pork-filled' signature bill
speed read 'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong,' Musk posted on X
-
Depleted FEMA struggling as hurricane season begins
speed read FEMA has lost a third of its workforce amid DOGE cuts enforced by President Donald Trump
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs