Let's End This 'Together,' Sanders Tells Black Youth in South Carolina
The presidential hopeful was joined by Dr. Cornel West, who introduced the Vermont Senator as 'a brother of integrity and honesty and decency.'
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders this weekend brought his populist message to South Carolina where, addressing crowds of black and white voters, he spoke forcefully about criminal justice reform, police brutality, and systemic inequity.
And along for the ride on his four-day Southern sweep was Sanders' friend and champion, black academic Dr. Cornel West, who introduced the Vermont Senator as "a brother of integrity and honesty and decency."
"Dear brother Bernie Sanders, he is not just on the move, he is going to win," West told the crowd of 1,000 Saturday morning at Benedict College, a historically black college located in Columbia. Last month, the Princeton University professor emeritus officially endorsed Sanders for president.
In addition to discussing his populist touchstones--income inequality, breaking up the banks, campaign finance reform, healthcare for all--Sanders also lingered on issues of racism and racial inequality.
The Hill reports:
"When I talk about racism ... I am talking about Sandra Bland," Sanders said, referencing the Chicago woman who was found hanged in a Texas police cell after being arrested for a minor traffic violation.
Sanders ticked off several other names -- Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, "and too many others who died at the hands of police officers, or in police custody," he said as the audience rose to its feet.
"If anybody thinks that this phenomenon ... is something new, you are very, very mistaken," Sanders continued, wiping his brow. "It has gone on for a very, very long time."
"Like any other public official, if a police officer breaks the law, that police officer must be held accountable," he added, to another standing ovation.
At one point, Sanders' warned the young crowd, "I'm going to bore you with facts; I'm not great at jokes. Alright? So let's get some truth out there."
He went on to cite a statistic that in 2009, 69 percent of black male high school dropouts ended up in jail, which he said is up from 15 percent in 1979. "Now it seems to me, given that reality, that tragic reality, it makes a lot more sense for us just to invest in jobs and education rather than jails and incarceration," he said.
The presidential hopeful also touted a sweeping criminal justice reform bill which he is expected to introduce to Congress next week. The legislation would increase oversight for privately-run prisons and end contracts for for-profit prisons within two years, reinstate the federal parole system, and end the mandatory quota of immigrants detained.
"Racism remains alive today, and our goal together must be to end all forms of institutional racism and make major reforms in our criminal justice system," he concluded.
As for West, aides for the candidate believe he will provide a helpful bridge between Sanders' economic message and the racial justice movement, which has focused on police and systemic brutality against people of color.
"He's a forceful voice for understanding the intersection of racial justice and economic justice. He understands very well Bernie's message. He provides validation to many people that the agenda Bernie is putting forward is an agenda that would benefit people in the African American community and beyond," said Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver.
The college visit came ahead of two other South Carolina stops in Florence and Rock Hill later Saturday. The four-day Southern swing also included a low-dollar fundraiser Friday night in Atlanta, as well as a rally in Greensboro, N.C. Sunday evening, and multiple stops Monday in Virginia, including a convocation speech to students at Liberty University, the conservative Christian school founded by evangelist Jerry Falwell, the Washington Post reports.
Urgent. It's never been this bad.
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission from the outset was simple. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It’s never been this bad out there. And it’s never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed and doing some of its best and most important work, the threats we face are intensifying. Right now, with just two days to go in our Spring Campaign, we're falling short of our make-or-break goal. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Can you make a gift right now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? There is no backup plan or rainy day fund. There is only you. —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders this weekend brought his populist message to South Carolina where, addressing crowds of black and white voters, he spoke forcefully about criminal justice reform, police brutality, and systemic inequity.
And along for the ride on his four-day Southern sweep was Sanders' friend and champion, black academic Dr. Cornel West, who introduced the Vermont Senator as "a brother of integrity and honesty and decency."
"Dear brother Bernie Sanders, he is not just on the move, he is going to win," West told the crowd of 1,000 Saturday morning at Benedict College, a historically black college located in Columbia. Last month, the Princeton University professor emeritus officially endorsed Sanders for president.
In addition to discussing his populist touchstones--income inequality, breaking up the banks, campaign finance reform, healthcare for all--Sanders also lingered on issues of racism and racial inequality.
The Hill reports:
"When I talk about racism ... I am talking about Sandra Bland," Sanders said, referencing the Chicago woman who was found hanged in a Texas police cell after being arrested for a minor traffic violation.
Sanders ticked off several other names -- Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, "and too many others who died at the hands of police officers, or in police custody," he said as the audience rose to its feet.
"If anybody thinks that this phenomenon ... is something new, you are very, very mistaken," Sanders continued, wiping his brow. "It has gone on for a very, very long time."
"Like any other public official, if a police officer breaks the law, that police officer must be held accountable," he added, to another standing ovation.
At one point, Sanders' warned the young crowd, "I'm going to bore you with facts; I'm not great at jokes. Alright? So let's get some truth out there."
He went on to cite a statistic that in 2009, 69 percent of black male high school dropouts ended up in jail, which he said is up from 15 percent in 1979. "Now it seems to me, given that reality, that tragic reality, it makes a lot more sense for us just to invest in jobs and education rather than jails and incarceration," he said.
The presidential hopeful also touted a sweeping criminal justice reform bill which he is expected to introduce to Congress next week. The legislation would increase oversight for privately-run prisons and end contracts for for-profit prisons within two years, reinstate the federal parole system, and end the mandatory quota of immigrants detained.
"Racism remains alive today, and our goal together must be to end all forms of institutional racism and make major reforms in our criminal justice system," he concluded.
As for West, aides for the candidate believe he will provide a helpful bridge between Sanders' economic message and the racial justice movement, which has focused on police and systemic brutality against people of color.
"He's a forceful voice for understanding the intersection of racial justice and economic justice. He understands very well Bernie's message. He provides validation to many people that the agenda Bernie is putting forward is an agenda that would benefit people in the African American community and beyond," said Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver.
The college visit came ahead of two other South Carolina stops in Florence and Rock Hill later Saturday. The four-day Southern swing also included a low-dollar fundraiser Friday night in Atlanta, as well as a rally in Greensboro, N.C. Sunday evening, and multiple stops Monday in Virginia, including a convocation speech to students at Liberty University, the conservative Christian school founded by evangelist Jerry Falwell, the Washington Post reports.
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders this weekend brought his populist message to South Carolina where, addressing crowds of black and white voters, he spoke forcefully about criminal justice reform, police brutality, and systemic inequity.
And along for the ride on his four-day Southern sweep was Sanders' friend and champion, black academic Dr. Cornel West, who introduced the Vermont Senator as "a brother of integrity and honesty and decency."
"Dear brother Bernie Sanders, he is not just on the move, he is going to win," West told the crowd of 1,000 Saturday morning at Benedict College, a historically black college located in Columbia. Last month, the Princeton University professor emeritus officially endorsed Sanders for president.
In addition to discussing his populist touchstones--income inequality, breaking up the banks, campaign finance reform, healthcare for all--Sanders also lingered on issues of racism and racial inequality.
The Hill reports:
"When I talk about racism ... I am talking about Sandra Bland," Sanders said, referencing the Chicago woman who was found hanged in a Texas police cell after being arrested for a minor traffic violation.
Sanders ticked off several other names -- Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, "and too many others who died at the hands of police officers, or in police custody," he said as the audience rose to its feet.
"If anybody thinks that this phenomenon ... is something new, you are very, very mistaken," Sanders continued, wiping his brow. "It has gone on for a very, very long time."
"Like any other public official, if a police officer breaks the law, that police officer must be held accountable," he added, to another standing ovation.
At one point, Sanders' warned the young crowd, "I'm going to bore you with facts; I'm not great at jokes. Alright? So let's get some truth out there."
He went on to cite a statistic that in 2009, 69 percent of black male high school dropouts ended up in jail, which he said is up from 15 percent in 1979. "Now it seems to me, given that reality, that tragic reality, it makes a lot more sense for us just to invest in jobs and education rather than jails and incarceration," he said.
The presidential hopeful also touted a sweeping criminal justice reform bill which he is expected to introduce to Congress next week. The legislation would increase oversight for privately-run prisons and end contracts for for-profit prisons within two years, reinstate the federal parole system, and end the mandatory quota of immigrants detained.
"Racism remains alive today, and our goal together must be to end all forms of institutional racism and make major reforms in our criminal justice system," he concluded.
As for West, aides for the candidate believe he will provide a helpful bridge between Sanders' economic message and the racial justice movement, which has focused on police and systemic brutality against people of color.
"He's a forceful voice for understanding the intersection of racial justice and economic justice. He understands very well Bernie's message. He provides validation to many people that the agenda Bernie is putting forward is an agenda that would benefit people in the African American community and beyond," said Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver.
The college visit came ahead of two other South Carolina stops in Florence and Rock Hill later Saturday. The four-day Southern swing also included a low-dollar fundraiser Friday night in Atlanta, as well as a rally in Greensboro, N.C. Sunday evening, and multiple stops Monday in Virginia, including a convocation speech to students at Liberty University, the conservative Christian school founded by evangelist Jerry Falwell, the Washington Post reports.