In yesterdays’ ABC News Town Hall, Joe Biden gave a lengthy overview of his policies around racial justice in response to a young Black voter’s mention of his disreputable “you ain’t Black” comment earlier this year .
In May, Biden faced criticism and backlash after he appeared on the popular radio showThe Breakfast Club with host Charlamagne tha God. At the end of the interview, he told viewers that, “if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”
He later addressed the “cavalier” nature of his response and insisted that he had never taken the Black vote for granted, stating he shouldn’t have been such “a wise guy” and was well aware that he needed support from the African American community to win the presidency.
At Thursday’s Town Hall, Student Cedric Humphrey from Harrisburg, Pa., who identified as a “progressive Democrat,” posed the question “Besides ‘you aint Black’, what do you have to say to young Black voters who see voting for you as further participation in a system that continually fails to protect them?” Here were Biden’s main points regarding the Black vote and what he would do for Black people:
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He insisted that Young Black women and men could determine the outcome of the election if they went out and voted.
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He quoted Civil Rights icon John Lewis and said the right to vote was “sacred.”
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He reiterated his work in reforming the criminal justice system, emphasizing the need to “put Black Americans in a position to be able to gain wealth, generate wealth.”
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He doubled-down on his support of increasing school and early education funding from $15 to $45 billion.
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He stated his intentions to work against redlining, the discriminatory practice that puts services (financial and otherwise) out of reach for residents of certain areas based on race or ethnicity.
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He pointed to his plan to provide $70 billion in new funding for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
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Referenced policies that would provide funding to help schools pay for more social workers and psychologists.
When asked whether or not the presidential candidate had answered his question, Humphrey responded with “Uh I think so,” suggesting Biden failed to address the concerns of the young man, or to make a connection.