Eric Garner's daughter endorses Bernie Sanders: He's black Americans' 'strongest ally'

Erica Garner, the eldest daughter of Eric Garner, who died in 2014 after being put chokehold by police, endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for president in a column in The Washington Post Friday. "Black Americans — all Americans — need a leader with a record that speaks for itself," Garner wrote. "And to me, it's clear. Of all the presidential candidates, Sen. Bernie Sanders is our strongest ally."

Garner said that her interest in Sanders was first sparked last summer when Black Lives Matter activists interrupted one of Sanders' rallies in Seattle. "The optics were messy, but he heard us," Garner wrote. "He prioritized a racial justice platform. He spoke out, in speeches and debates, about Sandra Bland and declared that black lives do matter. He heard us, and I believe he'll continue to listen."

Garner's endorsement comes amid concerns that even if Sanders managed to defeat Hillary Clinton in Iowa and New Hampshire, he would not be able to win over the black vote. As The Washington Post wrote just last week, "if Sanders can't find a way to win over large numbers of African-American voters, he will have virtually no chance of winning the Democratic nomination for president."

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Clinton has already been endorsed by another black activist: Trayvon Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton.