Any doubts about Bernie Sanders’ involvement in the civil rights movement have now been put to rest.
Earlier this month, civil rights leader John Lewis made headlines when he dismissed Sanders’ claims that he has a long history of fighting for social equality and the rights of black Americans.
“I never saw him. I never met him,” Lewis stated after the political action committee of the Congressional Black Caucus chose to endorse Clinton.
However, now an archived photo from the Chicago Tribune has emerged that shows a young white man being arrested in 1963 at a South Side protest — and that young man has now been confirmed to be Bernie Sanders.
Rep. John Lewis comes for Bernie’s civil rights activism in 1960s: ‘I never saw him’
“Bernie identified it himself,” said Tad Devine, a senior adviser to the campaign, adding that Sanders looked at a digital image of the photo. “He looked at it — he actually has his student ID from the University of Chicago in his wallet — and he said, ‘Yes, that indeed is (me).'”
A January 1964 Tribune story about those arrested during the protests also confirms that the 21-year-old being taken by Chicago police toward a police wagon is Bernard Sanders.
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Sanders was arrested Aug. 12, 1963, and was ultimately found guilty of resisting arrest and fined $25.
Campaign confirms photo of man arrested at 1963 protest on South Side is Bernie Sanders https://t.co/FzPDJ7Mx3w pic.twitter.com/2EeocNgU8e
— Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) February 20, 2016