Athletes and celebrities join 100 Black male leaders calling on Biden to pick a Black woman running mate


A group of prominent Black male leaders, including several athletes and celebrities, signed a Monday open letter calling on former Vice President Joe Biden to select a Black woman as his running mate. The list includes names like Sean "Diddy Combs," Chris Paul, Kam Chancellor, Van Jones, Nick Cannon, and Bakari Sellers.
The letter is quite clear in its intent, stating that choosing one of the several Black women the Biden campaign is considering as vice president is no longer something that "should" happen, but an imperative. Otherwise, the statement warns Biden, "you will lose the election" to President Trump in November. The signees said they "don't want to vote for the lesser of two evils" or the "devil we know versus the devil we don't."
Additionally, the letter takes issue with the scrutiny some of the women on Biden's shortlist, like Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), have faced throughout the process, stating it "disgusts" the signatories that the candidates are the subject of unfair criticism.
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.

Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.