Biden decries ‘domestic terrorism of white supremacy’
-- Joe Biden drew a direct line between the violence of groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and recent mass shootings in a speech on race and domestic terrorism in Birmingham, Alabama, on Sunday, seeking to unify the congregation – and the country – in a fight against hatred and injustice.
Mother Emanuel refers to the African Methodist Episcopal church in Charleston, South Carolina, where a white supremacist killed nine people in 2015. The pastor of that church, Rev. Eric Manning, attended Biden’s address. But, Biden, quoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., said their deaths implore others to work to combat racism and injustice. Biden then recounted the now-familiar refrain about the “defining moments” in his life, including the death of his first wife and daughter and later his son, Beau, that led him to a life of public service.
“It was right on the mark,” said Bobbie Adams, 82, a black woman who was born in Birmingham and remembers the bombing. “It was just beautiful. He told us what we needed to know. He’s going to bring civility back to our country.”As Biden continues his third run for the presidency, he will need to hold onto to black-voter support -- particularly in South Carolina, the fourth state in the 2020 primary calendar, where more than 60% of the Democratic primary voters are black.
Some critics suggested Biden had inferred that black parents were unable to raise their own children. His campaign rejected that characterization, saying the former vice president was talking about his proposal to invest resources to under-served schools. Richard Dickerson, who served in the Clinton administration but then moved to Birmingham years ago, said he supports Biden and appreciated his speech and visit to the church. But Dickerson, 64, said he was looking for more from white politicians.
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