Last night ccccat the Democratic National Convention, elected leaders and activists had the tough conversations in a segment titled “We the People Demand Racial Justice,” and laid out the party’s vision for a future where America’s promise is no longer out of reach for far too many, for far too long. The three-part series in tonight’s program dedicated to the monumental challenges our country is facing began with a pause to remember the names of the Black Americans who should still be alive today, and gave the floor to some of the nation’s most powerful voices of the movement who called for us all to ensure our actions become their legacies.
The journey to justice is never easy. But as a nation, we have to stick together. Joe Biden is ready to set America forth on the long road that lies ahead with bold plans that move us forward towards true equality, freedom, and justice for all.
In “We the People Demand Racial Justice”:
Live above Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser reflected on the horrific moment in June when Donald Trump sent troops, teargas, and federal helicopters onto peaceful protestors in her city—and she called on America to answer this national moment of reckoning with the courage to rise up together. “We have to undo the laws and systems that have codified racism for far too long. But we have to do something too. Each and every one of us. Challenge our own biases. If we see something, do something. Together, we can turn this reckoning into a reimagining of a nation where ‘We The People’ means all the people.”
Live from Houston, Texas, Philonise Floyd told us the story of his selfless brother, George. “George had a giving spirit. A spirit that has shown up on streets around our nation, and around the world—people of all races, all ages, all genders, all backgrounds—peacefully protesting in the name of love and unity.” Together, the Floyd family then led America in a moment of silence honoring Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Eric Garner, Stephon Clark, Atatiana Jefferson, Sandra Bland, and so many others who should still be alive today.
Vice President Biden engaged with, and listened to, social justice activist Jamira Burley, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, NAACP President Derrick Johnson, and author Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner, and discussed how Americans can embark together on the path forward toward true equality, fairness, and justice for all.
Congressman Jim Clyburn of South Carolina laid out the progress America has made and the critical work that lies ahead in our nation’s fight for true racial justice, and illustrated how Joe Biden’s firsthand experience with loss and hardship makes him the unifier we need to move our nation forward, together. “We will need a president who sees unifying people as a requirement of the job. A president who understands the true meaning of community—and how to build it through trust and humility. And with so many families experiencing loss in this pandemic—lost jobs, lost loved ones, and lost confidence in the president to keep us safe—we need a president who understands both profound loss; and what it takes to bounce back.”