Thread by @AsteadWesley

In Charleston for the Black Economic Alliance's presidential forum. Notice who's here: Buttigieg, O'Rourke, Warren, Booker. But also notice who's not: Biden, Harris, Sanders

Here's a good Times story from 2017 on the BEA formation, and the desire to more formally leverage black political power and the black donor class
nytimes.com/2017/10/24/bus…

O'Rourke is first candidate, in conversation moderated by @soledadobrien.

He has focused his first answer on expanding access to capital in black communities. Later talks about how wage gap is even worse for black women and how communities need safety from "police violence."

O'Rourke doing some SC namechecking, applauding Clyburn, Mayor Benjamin, + state rep Marvin Pendarvis

he's also more specific since first entering race

"Let's end the war on drugs, which is really a war on ppl." Says marijuana convictions should be expunged. Touts ban the box

O'Rourke says white ppl aren't honest about story of racism

"We have to talk about the foundational sin of this country."

Racism is "systemic and foundational and to those who say we only need reform -- you cannot reform a system that was foudned to produce" these results

Sanders sent a video message, which is playing now.

"We're going to implement agenda that reinvents in black community that have been neglected for too long."

Warren next

O'Brien: "is the American Dream out of touch for black ppl?"
Warren: "Yes. It's very, very, hard. And we need to be honest about that."

"Why do we have this black/white wealth gap? Bc in part of discrimination that was actively fostered by the united states govt."

O'Brien asks the "how do you pay for it" question Warren gets a ton -- which she likes because it's an avenue to talk wealth tax. But the "how do you pass it question" that's actually the more difficult one. This Vox story got at it

vox.com/policy-and-pol…

Warren gets a standing O from crowd (O'Rourke did not). It was mostly stump speech w/ a mention of some proposals: HBCU fund, debt cancellation etc. Here was my story from Dec., "Ms. Warren has stood out in her aggressive wooing of black leaders."
nytimes.com/2018/12/25/us/…

Harris also provides video message, touting teacher pay plan and rent relief act. Was some eyebrows raised about her absence today but she has also made more SC trips than any other candidate.

Mayor Buttigieg time

O'Brien pressing him for specifics on black agenda, which he says are coming.

"You can't replace racist policies with neutral policies. You need to be intentional."

Says time to end mandatory minimum sentencing. Use fed govt to increase police oversight

Buttigieg makes interesting point, about how rise of big data could lead to "automated inequality," where racism is baked into seemingly neutral decisions

O'Brien asks abt lack of black of support

Buttigieg: "I'm new on the scene and not myself from a community of color."

"We have to have authentic encounter with people everywhere we find them."

"Democrats talk in jargon and technically about policy, we don't talk about values."

Buttigieg making moderate case for student debt relief. Not cancellation, but refinancing, focusing on limiting infleunce of for profit schools, doubling Pell Grants.

"I just dont believe all of us should be paying for the children" of billionaires.

"The United States worked to segregate these neighborhoods and the United States needs to work to put that right," Buttigieg says in closing.

Broadstrokes of his "Douglass plan."

nbcnews.com/card/buttigieg…

Biden video message now. Crowd largely talking over it.

"The responsibility to right these historic wrongs doesn't lie in the past."

"Those of us who have benefited from systemic oppression have unique responsibility" to speak up on injustice.

Cory Booker remains one of the clubhouse leaders in my mismatch-between-real-life-and-Twitter power rankings. Big applause as he takes stage

Ties theme to his bio immediately: "My whole professional life has been living and working in black communities."

"Nipsey couldn't get a loan from a bank, because he had a previous criminal conviction," says Booker. Says biased criminal justice system has had economic effect on black communities

Booker talking about baby bonds. Here was a story that me and @NYTnickc did about Booker and Harris, and how their different strategies in court black voters is evident in their central economic plans. No one read it so now's your chance

nytimes.com/2019/05/01/us/…

Booker also gets standing ovation