Professor of Philosophy and Christian Practice at Union Theological Seminary and Professor Emeritus at Princeton University Dr. Cornel West argued that there’s a “black political class that confuses the gravy train with the freedom train” that is afraid of Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) “because in part they’re afraid of Wall Street. Hillary Clinton’s a Wall Street Democrat” on Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “AC360.”

West said, “[B]lack people historically have been the most progressive group when it comes to social justice. No doubt Bernie Sanders is the most progressive when it comes to social justice. He’s not tied to Wall Street in any way. We’re talking about free colleges and free universities. And he doesn’t use the language of our dear sister Hillary Clinton, when she talks about young black youth as superpredators that justified expansion of mass incarceration, and of course, the pulling of [the] rug from under welfare. So, that’s a matter black America getting to know him. But I think part of the problem is, we’ve got a neo-political, black political class that confuses the gravy train with the freedom train, that they’re not providing the kind of leadership they should, and they’re afraid of Bernie Sanders because in part they’re afraid of Wall Street. Hillary Clinton’s a Wall Street Democrat who is too tied to the mass incarceration order. Bernie Sanders, anti-Wall Street. one promise he says he’s going to shrink mass incarceration. We need black working people, poor people, middle class people who care, to understand that. We can understand the black elite sometimes pulling back because Bernie is hard in terms of accountability of elites no matter what color. That’s why I’m with him, my brother.”

He further accused Hillary of providing “lip service” with “no substance.” He later added, “Why did Hillary Clinton accept $133,000 from GEO, and CCA, who are private prison lobbyists to justify expanding mass incarceration, and she says she wants to end it. She’s just talking brother, there’s no substance.”

West did later concede that Sanders needs to be held to the same standard as Clinton regarding his vote on the crime bill.

(h/t Mediaite)

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