As the 2020 presidential election gets closer, Democrat candidates are looking to stand out from the rest of potential contenders. For candidate Beto O’Rourke, this is especially important, seeing as he is struggling in the polls.
On Friday, O’Rourke traveled to South Carolina in order to campaign for support from black voters. In doing this, O’Rourke discussed the perils of slavery and his belief that reparations are necessary for America. Furthermore, O’Rourke alleged that white Americans are unaware of slavery’s full story.
Reviewing O’Rourke’s Take on Slavery and Reparations
Put simply, O’Rourke believes that slavery is still impactful even to this day. During his speech to South Carolinians, O’Rourke also expressed the need to “define what reparations look like.
An excerpt from his speech reads as follows:
“We must repair this country from its very founding, kidnapping peoples from West Africa, bringing them here in bondage to literally build the wealth of the United States. The path there, though, has to come through learning and telling this American story with everyone. Then, I think, we define what reparations look like.”
