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Bill de Blasio Talks ICE, Sex Work Decriminalization and Why Black People Should Support His Campaign
New York City Mayor and 2020 presidential candidate Bill de Blasio said Donald Trump won the 2016 Election because people stayed home instead of hitting the polls, not because the majority of the country is racist (03:25). “Trump won not by bringing out a racist majority,” de Blasio said. “I do not believe there is…
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No Regrets? NYC Mayor and Presidential Candidate Bill de Blasio Gets Real About Eric Garner, the NYPD, and Policing
New York City Mayor and 2020 presidential candidate Bill de Blasio has no regrets over how he handled the legal proceedings of Daniel Pantaleo, the cop who killed Eric Garner. During his interview with The Root, de Blasio acknowledged the frustrations of New Yorkers who wanted him to call for the firing of Pantaleo (legally,…
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Bernie Sanders' Criminal Reform Plans Are Catching Up With His Radical Economic Platform
Most candidates push criminal reform packages that often lack the requisite muscle to make a dent in a system that warehouses black and brown people with reckless abandon. But Sen. Bernie Sanders’ plan to tackle some of the more contentious elements of the criminal legal system is just as radical as his economic policies—starting with…
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Marianne Williamson Explains Her Controversial Views on Prescription Drugs and Why Black People Should Vote for Her
During her sitdown interview with The Root, Marianne Williamson balked at suggestions that her dearth of experience in electoral politics makes her unqualified to be in the White House, saying that “Politicians are not the only people who sit around and have significant conversations about America” (00:55) and added that, “Very experienced politicians took us…
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Democratic Debates, Day 2: Andrew Yang Won the Night, Castro Shined, Biden and Harris Didn’t Perform Well
FLINT, Mich.—Just an hour away from the debate stage in Detroit where 10 candidates made their cases to the nation as to why they should be the next president of the United States, several dozen residents sat at the Flint Development Center waiting to see who would earn their support. They are still reeling over…
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Live Blog: From Detroit, the Democratic Debates, Night 2
DETROIT—Greetings from Flint! The Root is at the Flint Development Center live-blogging the second night of debates, where the organization Black Voters Matter is holding a debate forum with locals watching the debate on the big screen. Everyone will obviously be looking for the showdown between Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and former Vice President Joe…
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Democratic Debates, Day 1: Elizabeth Warren Came to Detroit and Caught a Body
DETROIT—Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) was supposed to come to Detroit and prove to this mostly black city why its residents should trust her with their votes. She was supposed to present a vision of economic hope that would convince black women here, who are often impoverished heads of households and suffer disproportionate infant mortality rates,…
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Live Blog: From Detroit, the Democratic Debates, Night 1
Greetings from Detroit! The Root is here in the Motor City live-blogging the first night of debates from the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, where the organization Black Voters Matter held a pre-debate forum with residents of Detroit, moderated by CNN commentator Angela Rye. Senior reporter Terrell Jermaine Starr is on location…
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Dems Descend on Detroit for Round 2 of Presidential Debates
DETROIT—Here in the Motor City, locals are looking for Democratic candidates to prove one thing: Can you beat Donald Trump? This is not a question germane to Detroit—indeed, Trump is wildly unpopular with black people nationally—but what makes this city particularly vital is that it is the biggest black city in America that, at one…
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Kamala Harris and AOC Introduce Legislation That Protects Formerly Incarcerated People Against Federal Housing Discrimination
U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) is introducing a bill Wednesday with freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) that aims to protect people with criminal records from discriminatory policies in federal housing. According to Sen. Harris’s office, the Fair Chance at Housing Act is designed to cut down on recidivism by helping ex-offenders secure…
