The high-profile killings of black men in recent weeks have ramped up the pressure on Joe Biden to pick a black woman as his running mate, with Senator Kamala Harris and former Georgia candidate for
The high-profile killings of black men in recent weeks have ramped up the pressure on Joe Biden to pick a black woman as his vice-presidential running mate, with Senator Kamala Harris and former Georgia governor candidate Stacey Abrams mentioned most often.
The increased spotlight on the VP pick comes as Americans and the black community have reeled from the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia and George Floyd in Minnesota. Arbery was shot and killed in February after being chased by two white men, with arrests being made only when footage was released months later, and Floyd died Monday after a police officer kneeled on his neck for eight minutes.
Groups and black leaders also say Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is white, has worked with them on issues affecting the community and hired black women during her campaign—necessary work, they say, that allows her to be included in the conversation as a choice who would help with Biden’s blind spots, including race.
« We hope as they continue the vetting process they will select someone who will shore up those blind spots, particularly when it comes to the African-American community, » NAACP President Derrick Johnson told Newsweek.
« We understand that the current political landscape must change, not only for democracy to survive, but for protection of the African-American community, » he added.
Some leaders pointed out how hard the black community has been tested in recent weeks responding to the pandemic, which has disproportionately infected and killed African-Americans, and now are mobilizing because of the deaths of unarmed black men. While Biden overwhelmingly captured the black vote in the primary, black leaders remain weary of his gaffes and wary of the campaign talking a big game on African-American outreach, particularly, they said, when there is so much work that still must be done amid the inflamed racial climate in the country. Becky Pringle, vice president of the National Education Association, for example, broke down when discussing Biden’s selection with Newsweek during this climate.
« As a mother of a black son who had to have that talk as he is in tears worrying about his son, who is only 7 years old, it’s too personal, » she said.
