Presidential candidates had better get this part of their campaigns locked down, because the BlackLivesMatter movements are not going away, and they do expect to be part of the conversation.
Today in Atlanta, Hillary Clinton got her moment of interruption. Jamil Smith writes:
After facing protesters who chanted and sang the Janelle Monae anthem "Hell You Talmbout" over the first part of her speech, the former secretary of state eventually advocated for a number of key racial justice reforms: A long-overdue overhaul of drug sentencing laws, legislation to prohibit racial profiling, and “banning the box,” a federal ban on employers asking applicants about their criminal history—a proven barrier to readjustment after prison. She also came out against the private sector's encroachment of the prison system. "We need to end private prisons and detention centers once and for all," Clinton said. "Protecting public safety is the core responsibility of the government, and it should never be outsourced."
Even with the #Hillary4Who action at her event, it was likely a relief to many to see the Democratic presidential front-runner finally articulating her formal platform to address and end structural racism. She was there, after all, because she has been pushed by Black Lives Matter and other citizens demanding to know her plans. But she was also there because we’re still trying to fix Ronald Reagan’s mistakes.
You should read the entire article, because it's very thoughtful about criminal justice reform issues in general, not specifically limited to Hillary Clinton. I still believe that she should revise her stance on the death penalty as part of her larger package of reforms, too.
