Sen. Bernie Sanders fires up hundreds at forum in north Minneapolis By Maya Rao FEBRUARY 12, 2016 — 7:49PM Sen. Bernie Sanders fired up hundreds of people in north Minneapolis as he vowed to address high African-American unemployment and incarceration rates, but the atmosphere grew tenser when some people pressed him for a more detailed agenda to help the black community. … But he repeatedly shied away from stating his positions on whether African-Americans should receive reparations, to the dismay of several speakers. “It seems like every time we talk about black people … we have to include every other person of color,” said Perry. “Can you please talk specifically about black people and reparations?”

Sanders acknowledged that he and Perry might have differences. It’s not just black people, he said — there were Latinos and poor whites as well. He said the time to start investing in poor communities was “long overdue.” … Over the din of cheers, someone in the audience yelled, “We were promised reparations! We were told we were going to get it!” Sanders said it was an unspeakable tragedy that one in four black males stood a chance of ending up in jail, and that young black high school graduates had such high jobless rates. “That ain’t right at all,” he said, as the crowd cheered. After Sanders criticized America’s high incarceration rates, a man with a criminal background stepped forward to ask what he would do for people who couldn’t vote because they’re felons. “I feel the Bern, but I can’t cast a ballot,” the man said. “What are you going to do for people like me?” Sanders said that after people pay the price for their crimes in prison, they shouldn’t see their rights to participate in democracy stripped away. Calling the system “stupid and unfair,” he added, “This is just part of the whole business of voter suppression …my view is, people serve the time, that’s it. They have the right to vote, period.” A number of people in the audience were aligned with Black Lives Matter, and activists in that movement began the event with stirring calls to address racial injustice before Sanders appeared. Sanders has sought to make greater inroads with black voters. ,,, As the forum wound down, White Earth Ojibwe activist Clyde Bellecourt stepped up from the audience to complain at length about injustices faced by American Indians. Moderator Anthony Newb repeatedly tried to cut him off, asking that he state a question. “This is a black forum,” Newby said at one point. “This is people of color and I’m one of those people of color!” Bellecourt said. … After the event, Newby said he understood the frustrations of the Native American community, but that the forum was intended to specifically address the black experience.

From the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:How could the Coalition of the Fringes get along without white men to hate to give them something to agree upon?Back in 2009 I wrote in VDARE.com Of course, Republicans haven’t paid any attention to my divide-and-win advice. But the Democrats are doing it to themselves, anyway.