The contrast served as a reminder both of Trump’s troubled record on race relations, and of how central black voters will be in choosing the Democratic Party’s nominee to unseat him. One aspirant, Sen. Kamala Harris of California, chose the day to announce her candidacy; she likely will be the only black woman in what’s becoming a crowded party contest.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, who has been weighing a 2020 bid, used his appearance at a Washington event to criticize Trump’s impact on race relations, and acknowledged to a mostly black audience that whites are often blind to the racism around them.