I am deeply appreciative of Curtiss Reed Jr.'s efforts to reach out to Bernie Sanders for the sake of his own growth. I am horrified, but not surprised, at the Facebook page reaction he describes.
From the beginning of Bernie's active campaign, I have been saddened and shocked at his cluelessness and myopia on race, his unwillingness to mention it.
My fear all along - and it is by no means dispersed - is that he really believes addressing income inequality will take care of any issues faced by people of color. That is, that “racism” doesn't really exist, except as a consequence of income inequality. Whew.
Like Curtiss Reed, I know that Bernie can get it if he wants to. And it's not about having concrete policy responses right now. The most important thing - and it is a work of the heart, not the head - is that Bernie show that he gets it, that he be willing to listen to and validate the experiences of people of color. That he believes that racism is its own real thing!
That doesn't even require anyone to do any policy research or analysis! All it requires is deep listening and a willingness to humble yourself to the lived experiences of others.
Bernie Sanders is trying, yet his responses, as of this writing, remain tin-eared. And yes, his followers are a huge part of his problem - unwilling to acknowledge any flaws or inadequacies.
So much for “ideas.”