#BernieSoBlack: Why progressives are fighting about Bernie Sanders and race

[KamaAina]

http://www.vox.com/2015/7/20/9001639/bernie-sanders-black-lives-matter

You might expect that Netroots Nation, the progressive conference whose 2015 edition was held in Phoenix last weekend, would be natural Sen. Bernie Sanders territory. And you could point to his speech on Saturday night, which turned out 11,000 people, as proof that you were right. But there's more than one kind of progressive.

Sanders's Netroots Nation appearance at a town hall Saturday afternoon turned into a confrontation with #BlackLivesMatter activists — and brought a conflict between Sanders-loving economic progressives on one side, and organizers for racial justice on the other, out into the open. But while Sanders is the catalyst, the conflict — at least as Sanders's critics see it — isn't really about whether to support Sanders or Hillary Clinton for the 2016 nomination. It's about who gets to call himself a progressive champion, and when politicians should heed activists' demands to pay more explicit attention to certain issues.

Two Democratic candidates appeared at Netroots Nation on Saturday: Sanders and Martin O'Malley. (Hillary Clinton was invited, but declined the invitation.) O'Malley and Sanders made back-to-back appearances in a town hall–style session, moderated by journalist and immigration activist Jose Antonio Vargas.

Both Sanders and O'Malley are trying to win progressive support in the Democratic primary to become the alternative to Hillary Clinton. But only one of them has really succeeded: Sanders's candidacy has gained a lot of momentum, with huge events and the second-most money raised directly of any candidate (driven largely by small donations). O'Malley, on the other hand, hasn't been able to capture as much attention. In fact, he's faced something of an uphill battle with many progressives: O'Malley's political career started in Baltimore, where he was closely associated with the aggressive police tactics that were under protest after the death of Freddie Gray in police custody this spring.

[Cali_Democrat]

1. It's a little unfortunate for Sanders

Polls continue to show him really trailing Hillary when it comes to the African American vote.

This is was the last thing he needed, especially considering how white progressives and blacks joined together in 2008 to give the nomination to Obama. Sanders needs the AA vote in the primaries if he wants to duplicate Obama's success.

He's off to a rocky start.

[randys1]

2. I am really pissed right now if it is true that Bernie cancelled meetings with BLM

Having said that, I see Hillary didnt show up at all.

Does she meet with them?

[AgingAmerican]

3. Only Bernie is held to this standard

Which is ironic given he is the only candidate with a serious history of addressing these issues.

Those who want these issues at the forefront are ruining their own best chance at having these things addressed in a meaningful way. I would say that there are more than a few Hillary supporters among them, hence she gets a pass while Bernie is attacked.

[randys1]

4. I dont care about anybody else right now, I wanna know if he cancelled these meetings or not

I dont need to hear the reason why if he did, I know the reason why, you could clearly see he was angry about the protests.

That really bothered me, and I have been on team Bernie for a LONG fucking time, WAY before this campaign season.

[Indepatriot]

13. Sanders DID NOT cancel a meeting with BLM

He sent a staff member. This was the original plan and did not change after the protest. Calm the hell down people!

[randys1]

16. And I am hearing the opposite of that elsewhere. Need proof I am afraid

[DisgustipatedinCA]

17. If you wanted to know, you'd look it up.

You want to posture, and so you are.

[randys1]

18. Bullshit, I am looking it up and what I saw was a tweet from someone who said he cancelled

their meeting.

I dont want to believe it so I am still searching.

Jesus christ, I PRAY to god the rank and file Bernie supporters are not


never mind...

[DisgustipatedinCA]

19. Keep praying. I'm immune to Internet drama.

Meantime, try the search term 'bernie sanders cancels netroots meeting'. One warning: I saw above that you don't want do know WHY he cancelled, just whether or not he did. Your search may lead you to information you said you don't desire.

[gollygee]

15. I feel like that's why he's targeted

"I want to vote for you, but I need to hear you say more about this issue first. Please speak more about it so I can feel comfortable voting for you."

African Americans have a lot of votes. He won't win withou them. I believe he is on the side of people of color, and just isn't great at communicating with them yet. He can improve that communication easily. He just has to do it.

[HooptieWagon]

5. After being ambushed, I don't blame him.

Shouting at someone is a turn-off. Sanders was on message that evening to a large, diverse crowd. He may have engaged other activists, more interested in dialog than screaming, in the interim.

[randys1]

7. Your response if it is his attitude would be HORRIBLE, I PRAY he isnt as dismissive as you are

[HooptieWagon]

8. Shouting at allies solves a problem?

Yes, I'm dismissive of that tactic. Did MLK shout at liberal white activists aiding the civil rights movement?

[randys1]

10. OMG, you brought up MLK

[1StrongBlackMan]

14. Yes ... He Did. Read ...

Letter from Birmingham Jail or How My Mind Has Changed (though the latter is more a critique of "Liberalism."

The primary difference being the lack of the internet which promotes uncontrolled messaging. There is just no way, his telling white activists to "stay in their lane" would have made the press at the time; but, I recommend reading some accounts of white activists, that acknowledge (years later) getting their a$$ handed to them by Martin and other's in the Black clergy, when they got head of themselves.

[seveneyes]

9. Shouting down good candidates leads to ignorance

Bernie is a wise and good person. He doesn't need to waste his time with being disrespected.

[randys1]

12. Each of your responses makes it worse, that you dont see that is so terribly

disappointment



The Black people need to just get over it, I know.

sigh

The worst thing they do is shout out during an event, I mean my GOD if you reverse everything the white people wouldnt be shouting at political events they would be BURNING down the buildings

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

6. A good, balanced article. nt

[sadoldgirl]

11. Naturally Bernie is the one mostly

criticized. After all his success with getting all kinds of
people together for his campaign he has become a serious
contender.

If Chafee or Webb had been at that conference, the BLM
group would not have bothered at all,imo. O'Malley was/is on
his way up.So he was approached too.

Whether they approached the candidates in the best way,
that is up to individual interpretation, as is their response.