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Watch: Andrew Yang and Bernie Sanders Talk About Racial Representation at Democratic Debate Watch Andrew Yang Talk About Racial Representation at Democratic Debate
(about 3 hours later)
The anxiety about race and representation within the Democratic Party has been growing since October, when it became clear that the most diverse presidential field in the party’s history had produced an all-white top tier.The anxiety about race and representation within the Democratic Party has been growing since October, when it became clear that the most diverse presidential field in the party’s history had produced an all-white top tier.
Senator Kamala Harris’s decision to end her campaign, and the resulting lack of racial diversity on Thursday’s debate stage — there were no black or Latino candidates, with Andrew Yang the only nonwhite participant — brought the issue of representation to the forefront, even as many black voters said that they themselves were supporting white candidates and that representation for its own sake was not enough.Senator Kamala Harris’s decision to end her campaign, and the resulting lack of racial diversity on Thursday’s debate stage — there were no black or Latino candidates, with Andrew Yang the only nonwhite participant — brought the issue of representation to the forefront, even as many black voters said that they themselves were supporting white candidates and that representation for its own sake was not enough.
But at the debate, on the whitest stage all year, the topic came up early, with a question about the message the stage sent to people of color.But at the debate, on the whitest stage all year, the topic came up early, with a question about the message the stage sent to people of color.
Here is a transcript of the exchange:Here is a transcript of the exchange:
MODERATOR: Mr. Yang, I want to switch topics, a new question. The Democratic Party relies on black, Hispanic and Asian voters. But you are the only candidate of color on the stage tonight, and the entire field remains overwhelmingly white. What message do you think this sends to voters of color?MODERATOR: Mr. Yang, I want to switch topics, a new question. The Democratic Party relies on black, Hispanic and Asian voters. But you are the only candidate of color on the stage tonight, and the entire field remains overwhelmingly white. What message do you think this sends to voters of color?
YANG: It’s both an honor and disappointment to be the lone candidate of color on the stage tonight. I miss Kamala, I miss Cory — though I think Cory will be back. I grew up the son of immigrants, and I had many racial epithets used against me as a kid. But black and Latinos have something much more powerful working against them than words. They have numbers. The average net worth of a black household is only 10 percent that of a white household. For Latinos, it’s 12 percent. If you’re a black woman, you’re 320 percent more likely to die from complications in childbirth. These are the numbers that define race in our country.YANG: It’s both an honor and disappointment to be the lone candidate of color on the stage tonight. I miss Kamala, I miss Cory — though I think Cory will be back. I grew up the son of immigrants, and I had many racial epithets used against me as a kid. But black and Latinos have something much more powerful working against them than words. They have numbers. The average net worth of a black household is only 10 percent that of a white household. For Latinos, it’s 12 percent. If you’re a black woman, you’re 320 percent more likely to die from complications in childbirth. These are the numbers that define race in our country.
And the question is, why am I the lone candidate of color on this stage? Fewer than 5 percent of Americans donate to political campaigns. You know what you need to donate to political campaigns? Disposable income. The way we fix it, the way we fix this, is we take Martin Luther King’s message of a guaranteed minimum income: a freedom dividend of $1,000 a month for all Americans. I guarantee if we had a freedom dividend of $1,000 a month, I would not be the only candidate of color on this stage tonight.And the question is, why am I the lone candidate of color on this stage? Fewer than 5 percent of Americans donate to political campaigns. You know what you need to donate to political campaigns? Disposable income. The way we fix it, the way we fix this, is we take Martin Luther King’s message of a guaranteed minimum income: a freedom dividend of $1,000 a month for all Americans. I guarantee if we had a freedom dividend of $1,000 a month, I would not be the only candidate of color on this stage tonight.
MODERATOR: Thank you, Mr. Yang. Senator Sanders, I do want to put the same question to you, Senator Sanders.MODERATOR: Thank you, Mr. Yang. Senator Sanders, I do want to put the same question to you, Senator Sanders.
BERNIE SANDERS: I’ll answer that question, but I wanted to get back to the issue of climate change for a moment, because I do believe this is the existential issue.BERNIE SANDERS: I’ll answer that question, but I wanted to get back to the issue of climate change for a moment, because I do believe this is the existential issue.
MODERATOR: Senator, with all respect, this question is about race. Can you answer the question as it was asked?MODERATOR: Senator, with all respect, this question is about race. Can you answer the question as it was asked?
SANDERS: I can, because people of color, in fact, are going to be the people suffering most if we do not deal with climate change. And by the way, we have an obligation up here, if there are not any of our African-American brothers and sisters up here, to speak about an economy in which African-Americans are exploited, where black women die at three times higher rates than white women, where we have a criminal justice system which is racist and broken, disproportionately made up of African-Americans and Latinos and Native Americans who are in jail. So we need an economy that focuses on the needs of oppressed, exploited people, and that is the African-American community.SANDERS: I can, because people of color, in fact, are going to be the people suffering most if we do not deal with climate change. And by the way, we have an obligation up here, if there are not any of our African-American brothers and sisters up here, to speak about an economy in which African-Americans are exploited, where black women die at three times higher rates than white women, where we have a criminal justice system which is racist and broken, disproportionately made up of African-Americans and Latinos and Native Americans who are in jail. So we need an economy that focuses on the needs of oppressed, exploited people, and that is the African-American community.
MODERATOR: Senator Klobuchar, here in California, people who identify as Hispanic, black, Asian or multiracial represent a majority of the population, outnumbering white residents. The United States is expected to be majority nonwhite within a generation. What do you say to white Americans who are uncomfortable with the idea of becoming a racial minority, even if you don’t share their concerns?MODERATOR: Senator Klobuchar, here in California, people who identify as Hispanic, black, Asian or multiracial represent a majority of the population, outnumbering white residents. The United States is expected to be majority nonwhite within a generation. What do you say to white Americans who are uncomfortable with the idea of becoming a racial minority, even if you don’t share their concerns?
AMY KLOBUCHAR: I say this is America. You’re looking at it. And we are not going to be able to succeed in the world if we do not invite everyone to be part of our economy. Our Constitution says that we strive for a more perfect union. Well, that’s what we are doing right now. And to me, that means, one, that everyone can vote, and that includes our communities of color. This action that’s been taken by this president and his people and his governors all over the country is wrong. They have made it harder for African-Americans to vote. As one court said, discriminated “with surgical precision.”AMY KLOBUCHAR: I say this is America. You’re looking at it. And we are not going to be able to succeed in the world if we do not invite everyone to be part of our economy. Our Constitution says that we strive for a more perfect union. Well, that’s what we are doing right now. And to me, that means, one, that everyone can vote, and that includes our communities of color. This action that’s been taken by this president and his people and his governors all over the country is wrong. They have made it harder for African-Americans to vote. As one court said, discriminated “with surgical precision.”
What would I do? As one of the leaders on voting in the U.S. Senate, one, stop the purging. As Stacey Abrams said, you know, you do not stop having your right to assemble if you don’t go to a meeting for a year. Because you don’t go to a church or synagogue or mosque for three months, you don’t lose your right to worship. You shouldn’t lose your right to vote. I would pass, as president, my bill to register every kid in this country when they turn 18 to vote. That would make all of these discriminatory actions in these states go away. And I would stop the gerrymandering, in addition to the agenda of economic opportunity, because as Martin Luther King said, “What good is it to integrate a lunch counter if you can’t afford a hamburger?”What would I do? As one of the leaders on voting in the U.S. Senate, one, stop the purging. As Stacey Abrams said, you know, you do not stop having your right to assemble if you don’t go to a meeting for a year. Because you don’t go to a church or synagogue or mosque for three months, you don’t lose your right to worship. You shouldn’t lose your right to vote. I would pass, as president, my bill to register every kid in this country when they turn 18 to vote. That would make all of these discriminatory actions in these states go away. And I would stop the gerrymandering, in addition to the agenda of economic opportunity, because as Martin Luther King said, “What good is it to integrate a lunch counter if you can’t afford a hamburger?”