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Here’s What Hillary Clinton Really Said About Whites Who Fear Young Black Men In Hoodies

Conservatives pounced on Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton last week after she spoke during a campaign speech in Greenville, S.C., about race and income inequality in America: “I mean, if we’re honest, for a lot of well-meaning, open-minded White people the sight of a young Black man in a hoodie still evokes a twinge of fear.”

The Federalist, a conservative news site, essentially condemned Clinton’s comments as racist, asking, “Does Hillary Clinton view herself as being ‘open-minded?’ If so, her remarks seem to very clearly suggest that she may in fact feel a twinge of fear at the sight of a young Black man in a hoodie.”

Social media users also went to town on Twitter.

Here's the clip of Hillary saying white people fear black men in hoodies http://t.co/Tde9AETmoa — cecilia (@CeciliaMarieQ) July 27, 2015

speaking on Hillary Clinton's poorly put together speech about "Black men in hoodies"… pt 1. pic.twitter.com/kpUhzKS58M — apollo 22 (@ayypollo) July 26, 2015

But the full context of Clinton’s comments show that she was simply highlighting a problem that has been pushed to the forefront thanks to the movement against police violence in Black communities. She points to the fact that racism is so pervasive in the U.S., that even some “well-meaning” and “open-minded” White folk fail to recognize the problem.

PolitickerOne obtained a transcript of Clinton’s talk. Read it below and let us know what you think in the comments:

In 2013, the median wealth of Black families was around $11,000. For White families, it was more than $134,000. And nearly half of all black families have lived in poor neighborhoods for at least two generations, compared to just 7 percent of White families. Today across America, our schools are actually more segregated than they were in l968. Now, I believe that our problems are not all because of the virulence of some. Some of the comments you read on the internet are just so distressing. Some of the organizations that have promoted racism are deplorable. But I do think that all of us have to search our hearts hard to think about what more we can and should do. I mean, if we’re honest, for a lot of well-meaning, open-minded White people the sight of a young Black man in a hoodie still evokes a twinge of fear. And news reports about poverty and crime and discrimination evoke sympathy, even empathy, but they do rarely spur us to action or prompt us to question our own assumptions and privilege. We cannot hide from these hard truths about race and justice in America. We have to name them and own them and change them. And we can start by standing up and saying loudly and clearly, yes, Black lives matter. And then we need – (applause) – and then we need to take action, and that action has to be at the local level, the state level and the federal level. Now, over the past months I’ve proposed a series of reforms aimed at the challenge of systemic racism. Ending the era of mass incarceration and taking new approaches to criminal justice. Investing in early childhood education and preschool so that children of color and all children who grow up in poverty don’t start out at a disadvantage from the very beginning. We should be creating pipelines to opportunity, not to prison. (Applause.)

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Draft Biden Group Releases First YouTube Ad

Draft Biden, the super-PAC formed to encourage Vice President Joe Biden to run for president, released its first ad on Friday.

The ad, chock-full of multicultural voices, came a day before Saturday’s “national day of action,” a drive to obtain signatures in the petition to draft Biden.

“Some people ask, Why Joe Biden?” a young man says in the ad. “I turn back and ask them, Why not Joe Biden? He’s been on of the most influential vice presidents that this country has seen. He’s right now a part of one of the most successful administrations in recent history, and he’s a big reason for that success.”

The group has collected over 150,000 signatures to encourage Biden to run. He could announce a decision at the end of the summer.

What do you think? Will he, or won’t he? Sound off in the comments.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty

SEE ALSO:

Black Lawmakers Join President Obama On Historic Trip To Kenya, Ethiopia

The Controversy Continues: Ben Carson Thinks “Planned Parenthood” Wants To “Eliminate Blacks”

Obama’s Prison Visits Sheds Light On A Reason So Many Black People Can’t Vote

Does Hillary Have A Camille Cosby Problem? Plus Pols Wear Red To #BringBackOurGirls

Voting Rights On The Chopping Block In North Carolina, Baltimore Mayor Attacked, & More

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