Hillary Clinton Addresses Racism With the Need For A National Conversation

The Clinton campaign is reaping the benefits from the early February endorsement from 170 African-American women leaders, women like Angela Bassett above, who will rally support for Hillary with black voters for the February 27 South Carolina primary and the critically-important March primaries.

The women include actress Shonda Rhimes, the mothers of Eric Garner and Trayvon Martin, as well as Democratic politicians such as Washington D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser and Reps Donna Edwards and Maxine Waters.

According to the campaign, these women will be organizing events such as debate-watch parties, neighborhood meetings and women-only phone-banks. Moreover, they plan on going door-to-door to small businesses, to talk about Clinton’s ideas and policy proposals on issues such as closing the gender pay gap, protecting reproductive rights and supporting paid family leave and raising the minimum wage. “Hillary knows the reality of women earning less than men, confronting barriers to advancing in the workforce, and politicians interfering with a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions is even starker for African American women,” said LaDavia Drane, Director of African American Outreach for the Clinton campaign. “As president, she’ll implement the right policies to lift us up and move us forward. Hillary is a friend to the African American community and we’re excited that these respected women leaders will campaign for her in the weeks to come.”

Hillary Clinton: white people need to listen when people of color talk about racism VOX

"White Americans need to do a better job at listening when African Americans talk about the seen and unseen barriers they face every day," she said. "Practice humility rather than assume that our experience is everyone’s experiences."

Yes, during the event, Clinton announced a wide-ranging plan to dismantle racial discrimination and bias through a mix of new and previously proposed policies. She proposed a plan to close the school-to-prison pipeline. She intends to reduce youth unemployment and close the gender pay gap, which she noted especially affects women of color. She talked about banning areas on job applications where ex-offenders are asked to disclose any criminal background.

But the speech also seemed to mark a turning point for Clinton, who used the opportunity to show black voters she’s heard the criticism directed at her, while also asking white voters to actively participate in dismantling racism.

Five Women From 'Black Lives Matter' Campaign for Hillary Clinton in South Carolina NY Times

Five mothers in the Black Lives Matter movement have spoken powerfully this week in South Caroline. They accompanied Hillary Clinton to CNN's town hall on Tuesday night, where the candidate asked them to stand for the audience.

Gwen Carr, whose son Eric Garner was killed as the result of a police chokehold in 2014, for her ability to listen to the mothers, was joined by the mothers of Trayvon Martin and Sandra Bland. Hillary is expected to win this Saturday's South Carolina primary.