“Biden is actually Biden in empathizing with all of the ways the current landscape is sending him messages,” said Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change, a racial justice organization that was skeptical of Mr Biden during the Democrats’ primary race , but now praised some achievements and believed that much more needs to be done. “That’s good, but I don’t want to relegate this to some kind of radical leadership from the start. That really wouldn’t be all that would be possible if we leaned into it more. “
The democratic choice to deal with race issues is not without political danger, however, as these issues have been deeply defined by party political divisions. While the country’s views on race have changed, it is an open question to what extent white liberals and independents would support efforts to really dismantle some of the broader systems – like segregated schools and neighborhoods – that add to racial inequality.
A new paper from political scientists at Yale found that support for progressive policies – like the minimum wage hike, student loan debt relief, and the Green New Deal – actually diminishes when Democrats put forward their arguments despite the shift in public opinion the race racially formulate topic.
“Democrats’ use of racial frameworks in describing their progressive policies could inadvertently make it difficult for them to adopt public policies that promote racial justice,” the Yale researchers write.
Mr Biden is far from the only Democrat who speaks more explicitly about race. After George Floyd, many Democratic voters and politicians have crashed into racial inequality. Some of the solidarity efforts have been ham at best: when the Democrats released policing revision laws in June last year, they wrapped themselves in horrific kente-cloth stoles. As recently as last week, spokeswoman Nancy Pelosi reacted numbly to the guilty verdict against Derek Chauvin by thanking Mr Floyd for “sacrificing” his life, suggesting that the victim of police violence had a choice in the matter.
But during the campaign, Mr. Biden “did the job,” as liberal activists would say, despite the occasional gawk when he talked about race and black Americans. He apologized for portions of the 1994 Crime Act. His campaign published a comprehensive plan to eradicate racial differences in issues from health to policing, with a particular focus on promoting economic equality, improving access to affordable housing and education, and reforming the Criminal justice system.
Since taking office, Mr Biden has vowed to put racial justice at the center of every element of his agenda – from his response to the coronavirus pandemic to building infrastructure and shaping climate policy.
