Story highlights Sanders took questions from the panel on issues relating to racial inequality

The crowd was vocal during the question and answer session

Minneapolis (CNN) Bernie Sanders faced a frustrated and at times tough crowd at a race and economics forum here Friday night.

Sanders spoke to the predominately African-American crowd, addressing issues such as the incarceration rates of whites versus African-Americans due to marijuana use. He also talked about nationwide police reforms.

After delivering a stump speech for about 15 minutes, Sanders answered questions on racial inequality, economic disparities and small business growth, and environmental issues affecting Minneapolis.

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The audience cheered and clapped for Sanders at times during his stump speech, and were as vocal during the question and answer session, yelling out "How?" at several points as the senator spoke.

A particularly tense moment arose when a questioner found Sanders' answer on government accountability in low-income communities like Flint, Michigan, unsatisfactory, accusing him of being afraid of saying "black" and asked him to go into more detail about reparations for African-Americans in the country.

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