Sanders understands that we don't live in a "post-racial" society.

[thereismore]

I think last night he showed that he understands how and why black lives matter. This came at the end of a segment in which both of them discussed Flint. Sec. Hillary did not mention the racial aspect of the crisis, but Sen. Sanders did:

"One wonders if this were a white suburban community, what kind of a response there would have been."
I wish he had gone even further by saying "If this were a white suburban community, this would never have happened," but I take what he said a a major step toward understanding what Black America is living with every day.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/democratic-debate-flint_us_56b41d5ee4b04f9b57d92084

[MisterP]

1. I'd also add that he's very geographically/locally oriented

he knows not only that nonwhite communities get the short end of so many sticks--redlining, bluelining (targeted by the detritus of other PDs), greenlining (school districts, all the new houses being unaffordable McMansions): upper middle class people being made into environmental refugees are gonna complain with their donations and make bad optics (Porter Ranch)