Bernie Sanders addresses crowd in Harlem with Harry Belafonte and Erica Garner at his side

Apr 11, 2016

With Harry Belafonte and Erica Garner at his side, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders addressed a crowd in Harlem, speaking to issues of racism and opening up about his own Jewish heritage.

Sanders, who said that he was “uncomfortable” talking about himself and his background, opened up about how, as a young child, he had been brought to tears when he found out that his father’s family had been destroyed by the Nazis during the Holocaust. He described the moment as pivotal in his decision not only to go into politics, but also to fight against racism and injustice.

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“I am proud to be Jewish,” he told the crowd.

During the event, Sanders was also joined by activist Harry Belafonte as well as Erica Garner, the daughter of Eric Garner, both of whom spoke on his behalf and defended his record fighting racism.

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“A whole bunch of Democrats said ‘black lives matter’ or ‘Eric Garner’… well where are they?” Garner said, also going on to slam Hillary Clinton for her attachment to Mayor Bill de Blasio, who Garner said was guilty of “covering up murders.”

The event came as both Sanders and Clinton are gearing up for primary races, with Sanders battling to win the black vote from Clinton, who has shown in the past to have strong support in the black community, winning states with diverse populations across the South early on in the race.