Covering the crowded U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) for President kickoff rally event a.k. a. #BernieInBrooklyn on the Brooklyn College Quad this past Saturday, I almost forgot that I was even in Flatbush until I walked out to Flatbush-Nostrand Junction and saw a Golden Krust and a Jamaican Seafood grocery store on the corner.
Bernie might have come back home to Brooklyn, but there wasn’t many locals attending his homecoming.
In fact, there were only a handful of Black individuals in the crowd in comparison to the area’s demographics. Although the city’s largest Afro-Caribbean neighborhoods border two sides of Brooklyn College, there was clearly a lack of color at the event.
Even I, as a local reporter of color, struggled to get into the event. Although, I had and wore my NYPD issued press credentials, the Sanders’ team made me wait at the media entrance for verification, during which time, I witnessed several white people gain entrance without any credentials.
Once inside, the few Black people that were present, were dispersed amongst the crowd and even strategically standing behind the 77-year-old U.S. Senator.
I compared the moment to going to your grandmother’s house and not seeing any food. I know my grandmother always has food or coffee (because we’re Colombian) on the table at all times. Any lack of food has yet to be witnessed and if it were, that would be legendary.
But that was the dichotomy of the day’s event.
I saw more of the local residents walking to get lunch after the massive exodus than at the entire rally.
The black attendees that did show up appeared to be either young enthusiastic voters with hopes of toppling the Trump regime, or people from out of town. The two people of color I did speak to didn’t live in the area and were in their early twenties.
Not one local elected official was standing amongst the supporters or even spoke to the hundreds of attendees. Among the local elected officials in the area include Assembly members Rodneyse Bichotte, Diana Richardson, State Senators Kevin Parker and Zelnor Myrie, and city Council Members Mathieu Eugene and Jumaane Williams – all faithful Democrats, and even self-proclaimed progressives.
Sanders may have great progressive values, but to win the White House back for the party, one needs to do real outreach to Democrats of color. Just ask Hillary Clinton.
The two declared black candidates for the Democratic nod are both more mainstream Democrats – U.S. Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ). As the primary season unfolds, the question may become, can the progressive and black wings of the Democratic Party learn to fly together or will they crash and burn because of dysfunction?
The answer could very well determine four more years of Donald Trump or a new direction.
