This decade has seen, so far, some of the greatest telltale signs of growing racial division since our parents' youth. That said, it's no surprise that the contenders for the 2016 presidential election are increasingly facing questions about race. Now, even Hillary Clinton, a Democrat who would almost be guaranteed the minority vote, is being questioned on the issue.
Even this early in the nomination process, candidates on both sides of the aisle have touched on issues of race. The biggest promoter of this, however, has been Black Lives Matter, a group of activists promoting awareness about racial injustice in the United States. Hillary Clinton faced the movement on the August 17.
Unlike other candidates, Clinton did not allow the activists into her local campaign event, locking the minority advocates outside until the event was over. According to Clinton's campaign staff, this was due to orders by the local fire marshal. After the event was over, Clinton met the group independently and spoke to their concerns, most of which had to do with proving she wouldn't be a repeat of her husband, who some claim enacted racist policies while in office. Repeatedly throughout the meeting, Clinton and her family were accused of perpetuating policies which led to racial injustice and even death. Of course, Bill Clinton's campaign materials didn't help her on this front either.
Clinton's response was that she agreed for the need of "a reckoning" when it comes to racial issues in America and that she wanted to change the demands of the group in her campaign so that she "can sell it." What her response indicated was that she did want to forward the agenda of the Black Lives Matter group, but wasn't exactly sure what it was they wanted her to tell the American people to believe. Pointing her finger at the leaders of the group, she claimed that "you can get lip service from as many white people as you can pack into Yankee Stadium and a million more like it, we're going to say 'oh we get it, we get it, we're going to be nicer.' But that's not enough."
Despite her near-total agreement with their agenda, calling it economically and socially fair to call America to bear for our original sin of slavery and even referring to Americans as "sinners," the group continued to criticize her. Julius Jones, the founder of the movement in Worcester, even accused Clinton of victim-blaming, to which she retorted "I don't believe that you change hearts." Clinton responded that she would rather change the allocation of resources and the system running the country, redistributing them and forcing a new reality instead of appealing to people who wouldn't listen.
The activists weren't won over, though, by Clinton's appeal to their beliefs. Daunasia Yancey, the founder of the movement in Boston and leader of the group that met Clinton, tied into Clinton's remarks about selling ideas to the American public, remarking that she "gave the answer she wanted to give" instead of trying to see things through their point of view.
Black Lives Matter Boston showed some serious doubt about Clinton's responses that night, releasing statements over social media that told how she "lobbied to expand [the] drug war & mass incarceration" and "worked to reduce federal assistance to women & children living in poverty." Whether or not this dialog will continue within the coming weeks, it is undoubtedly the beginning of yet another shaky dialog for Clinton, this time about the issue of race. If she wants to prove that she will care about racial issues, she will have to prove that she genuinely feels for the movement and that she isn't just selling it for votes.
The full video of the conversation between Clinton and Black Lives Matter is below:
