My take on why many black voters aren't impressed with Bernie's work in the civil rights movement

[EffieBlack]

A frequent argument I've heard from some of Bernie Sanders' supporters is that black voters should support Bernie because his participation in the civil rights movement in the 1960s proves that he is a champion and fighter for civil rights. But the reaction from many black people to this argument has generally been, "Really? That's nice."

I've thought a lot about this and talked to many people and have a sense of why this may be, at least for many blacks.

Most black Americans, especially those of a certain age, are surrounded by people - white and black - who were active in the civil rights movement. It's nothing new. It's part of the fabric of our lives. And while Bernie's experience is commendable, it's really not all that special to people who have been immersed in the movement.

We know lots of white people who participated in the movement, people who don't go around bragging about it and don't insist that it makes them special or offer it up as proof of their commitment to civil rights. My own personal experience with whites who were active in the movement is that they are very modest about it, don't claim that it was more than it was (and often downplay it considerably) and they approach it, not as if they had done something special but that they just did what they were SUPPOSED to do and, in fact, they wish they had done more. The fact that they may have been among the few whites who did it doesn't make them special, it makes those who didn't do it derelict.

And many of them did much more than Bernie did, risking their lives, going down South for the Freedom Rides and other protests where they were truly in danger, they were beaten and gassed and thrown into Southern jails, not knowing if they would come out alive or with all of their physical or mental faculties. And even those people don't try to put themselves on the same level as people like John Lewis, who were arrested repeatedly, who risked so much more than they did and could not step away from the movement when they decided to do something else the way whites, whose skin color privilege allowed them choices the black activists did not have, were able to do.

And, importantly, they don't see their actions as something they should be praised for and they certainly don't see it as some kind of favor they did for black people for which blacks should be forever grateful.

That is why I think that stories about Bernie's time in the civil rights movement in the 1960s just isn't resonating with many black people. It's not that they don't think that he was committed and did good work. They just don't think it's that big of a deal, in the context of their own experiences. And they don't think that the work he did in the 1960s is a major qualifier for the presidency in 2016.

FYI, this is my personal observation based on my experience. I am not "speaking for all black people."




Bernie Sanders arrested

John Lewis arrested
John Lewis arrested again and again

and again and again

well, you get the idea

[olddots]

1. nice try once again

[sheshe2]

21. ???

[NurseJackie]

82. I know ... right?

[Xipe Totec]

2. So, summarizing: If you're white, no diff between working in civil rights or being in the KKK

You get no points because meh.

[TheFarS1de]

12. Yo got that message too huh ...

[onecaliberal]

3. Really and Hillary did what?

Support Goldwater. And give her full support of Wellfare reform that threw millions into poverty and the private prison industry that has locked up millions and ruined family legacies. Yeah that's some good shit right there...

[EffieBlack]

6. This OP is not about Hillary. But you are free to start your own threads to discuss whatever you

want to discuss.

[onecaliberal]

9. I can comment on whatever I want!

[Autumn]

22. This OP is not about Hillary but if you want to bring Hillary up you are free to do so

since Hillary's actions or whatever, fit right in with this topic.

[NanceGreggs]

35. You cannot ask any questions about Bernie ...

... nor make any comments about him, without getting the classic "But what about HER!?!" response.

That's just the way it is around here.

[JI7]

13. support for Hillary isn't based on them thinking she is some great civil rights leader

[ultragreen]

30. Then what is the basis of their support?

[JI7]

33. she gets involved in their communities, long term reltionships

she really does work hard to get their support.

and she is with them even when there isn't an election and needs votes.

[Fuddnik]

53. She must use her invisibility powers, because I've never seen it.

I dn't think anyone has.

[JI7]

62. many of those supporting have

i'm voting sanders and i voted obama in 2008 but i'm able to see what's going on with others.

[eridani]

78. Like putting them in jail at 10 times the rate of whites for using MJ?

Like being hte candidate of "hardworking people, white people" in 2008?

[Lucinda]

4. Thank you for a very thoughtful post Effie!

Big KNR

[azmom]

5. Unbelievable.

[MaggieD]

7. Makes sense

It also doesn't help that he did nothing for AA in the intervening 50 years.

[gyroscope]

47. Bernie fought and voted against the Clinton's disastrous welfare reform bill

that laid waste to black communities throughout the country.

[MaggieD]

48. AA does not equal welfare

And I think it's insulting that you apparently equate the two. There are many more white people on welfare than there are black people. Maybe this type of thinking is why he is not getting the AA vote.

[gyroscope]

51. James Clyburn voted against the Welfare Reform Bill

the black community was united in opposition to it.

I hope Hillary keeps talking about how proud she is of the bill, that should go over real well in South Carolina.

[JI7]

64. no, the black community was NOT united in opposition to the welfare reform bill

[gyroscope]

68. Yes they were

the democratic party itself was united against it, with only 30 democrats voting in favor versus 165 against.

99% of republicans voted for it and Clinton signed it into law, which should tell you something.

[JI7]

72. you are right, i was thinking of the crime bill

[EffieBlack]

52. Isn't it interesting that they keep bringing up welfare and crime as if these are the only issues

we care about?

And I rarely see them bring these up when trying to convince white voters to support Sanders.

[MaggieD]

58. Seems tone deaf to me

Or just indicative of odd ideas about AA voters.

[Chitown Kev]

74. Yep.

[the zound of zilence]

73. Right on, MaggieD!

I had the exact same reaction.

[Chitown Kev]

8. This.

My own personal experience with whites who were active in the movement is that they are very modest about it, don't claim that it was more than it was (and often downplay it considerably) and they approach it, not as if they had done something special but that they just did what they were SUPPOSED to do and, in fact, they wish they had done more. The fact that they may have been among the few whites who did it doesn't make them special, it makes those who didn't do it derelict.

and until lately, Bernie didn't say all that much about it.

I personally know one white guy that marched in Selma and worked with King in Chicago and one white guy who ran with Fred Hampton for a time.

Neither one of them likes to talk about it much unless you ask.

[JI7]

15. it's not bernie who is saying he deserves votes based on it

it's more those who claim to support him.

i have said that he needed to go talk to black people and other minorities by himself. not speeches but small gatherings so this way he knows what people's concerns are and take that into account when giving his speeches and making his plans.

[Chitown Kev]

17. Exactly

I've long divorced what Bernie actually says about his activities in the 1960's from what his supporters say. The only time I held it against Bernie was at NN

[EffieBlack]

19. I agree that he hadn't been saying it until recently, but in the last week he's been injecting

it into his comments. He did it in the last two town halls in responses to questions about race and it sounded strange and out-of-touch.

But you're right, to his credit, he had not done this previously. It was his supporters who were doing it. I'm not sure why he started it - maybe because the campaign is trying to appeal to black voters in South Carolina. But I don't think it's going to do him any good. In fact, it's the kind of thing that makes people roll their eyes and chuckle.

[JI7]

31. i think it's just a last minute thing to try to get support in South Carolina

because they didn't do much earlier, especially what i said about smaller gatherings and meeting people one on one and letting them ask him questions.

it's very unlikely he would have won the AA vote . but just keeping the final numbers close would have been good but i can't see that happening.

i think he has not been getting very good advice.

[riversedge]

70. Sanders tacked his involvement with MLK and the march onto his 'poverty' press

conference early Wednesday. It came across as this that--tacked on and not related to anything--more like a bragging comment

[cannabis_flower]

18. So it sounds like

So white people who participated don't usually talk about it and you respect that. But then Bernie Sanders didn't talk about it, so you didn't know about his record and didn't support him. So then he talks about and then he shouldn't have talked about it. Seems like he was damned if he did and damned if he didn't.

What exactly should he have done different than he did? He let activists take over his microphone instead of having them hauled away like Trump (or even Kerry did for that matter). He met with BLM. He's done his best to demonstrate that he has some kind of understanding. What else does he need to do? Or are people's minds made up and they can't be convinced no matter what?

[EffieBlack]

25. There's absolutely nothing wrong with talking about his record. But setting out there over and over

as if black people should support him just because of what he did in the 60s and then continuously arguing that they must be crazy if they don't is probably the reason he's getting the reaction (or non-reaction) that he is.

There's a difference between saying what he did and saying what he did and then characterizing as something special to an audience who has good reason to think that what he did is not all that special in the scheme of things.

Unfortunately, he has not done a good job of demonstrating that he understands. He seems to be very certain that he has earned support because of what he did in the 1960s and seems to resent being asked about what he has done since. And he doesn't really listen. He tells. He strikes many black people as the kind of liberal who means well but is so certain of their own righteousness and are so confident that they know better than everyone else what is good for them that they don't really listen and they end up being very patronizing and paternalistic without meaning to be. I'm not saying that's what's in his heart, but that's the impression he has left with many people. And many of his supporters are exponentially worse. They are downright condescending, rude, and obnoxious to black voters, which is a poor reflection on him.

[JudyM]

41. My take is this: he raised it to show that his economic justice ideas aren't just about our economy,

but are rooted in and grew out of his long-existing sensitivity to racial injustice. People were saying he just suddenly showed up on the scene, so he had to show that he was sensitive to the barriers and other injustices long ago, and was a leader among students in the north.

Yeah, he could've done more, you can always say that about anyone, but he had enough passion about it to show leadership. He had to drop out of school to continue pursuing these issues. I expect not a whole lot were that committed.

[EffieBlack]

49. But telling us about his sensitivity and then answering questions about racial justice in such

a tone deaf manner -for example, when answering a question about how job creation is going to solve the police brutality problem by talking about jobless minorities hanging out on corners and getting into trouble - undercuts his claims of sensitivity. Moreover, when you start of such answers with a conclusion that OTHER people should draw, it falls flat. Black people can judge for ourselves whether someone is racially sensitive. They don't need to tell us, "I'm good at this because I did thus and so." We can figure that out for ourselves and when someone tells us how sensitive they are and then we come to the conclusion that they aren't as sensitive as they think they are, their claim sounds even more hollow.

And, frankly, it is very off-putting to have white people tell us about their civil rights record as if it's an immunity card or something they should get extra credit for. We can figure it out without having it yelled at us at every opportunity.

[Arazi]

54. I respect your opinion

but (respectfully) do you realize how shallow you (generic "you" speaking for all AAs) sound?

Have you (generic you) looked into his policies?

What's in "his heart" is outlined in his platform.

Has the AA community really opened their mind to listening to him? It goes both ways

Thank you for sharing

[EffieBlack]

61. You must have missed where I said I am not speaking for all black people

And yes, I am very familiar with his policies.

Why are you questioning whether "the AA community has really opened their mind to listening to him?" First of all, just as you object to the notion that I am speaking for all African Americans (which I am not), your asking whether our collective community has "opened our mind" as if we are a monolith is very odd.

And why are you questioning whether blacks know about Sanders - YOU know about him? Why wouldn't we?

This is a big problem with Sanders supporters - not only do you assume that we aren't as informed or open-minded as you are, you actually say it, which is really insulting. I'm not sure why some of you are having such a hard time understanding that we are very informed and very aware, but we just happen not to share your opinion.

[Chitown Kev]

67. Actually

I knew about his civil rights activities shortly before or after he ran for the presidency. When a relative asked me about Sanders, I told them about it, and as a result, that relative is a Sanders supporter even though I am not. The problem with some of you Sanders supporters is that you seem to want to dictate to me how I should prioritize that part of his biography. And I wrote a 200+ comment thread basically telling Sanders supporters of that specific ilk to go to hell.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511279292

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/02/13/1484355/-Look

Shortly before (or after) Bernie Sanders announced his candidacy for President of the United States, I read this wonderful profile of Sanders in The University of Chicago magazine.

Rick Perlstein’s piece is a simple, evocative, and very moving profile of Senator Sanders, his activities and studies at The University of Chicago. I especially liked Perlstein’s…uhm, interesting analysis of the impression that Mayor Richard Daley the First made on the young Bernie Sanders:

[DCBob]

10. Well said.

[LexVegas]

11. There is also a world of difference between...

the civil rights movement north and south of the Mason-Dixon line. Alabama was a different world from Chicago.

[BlueCaliDem]

46. Wasn't Emmett Till from Chicago? And wasn't he unafraid to be more free in Mississippi

just as he was in Chicago even though his cousin told him to be more careful when in Mississippi because the White people there are not like in Chicago?

[Autumn]

14. Hey Effie

welcome back. Been a while.

[ruggerson]

16. Effie

I often find what you write to be thoughtful, provocative and remarkably insightful.

This is no exception.

recommended.

[oasis]

20. Thanks EffieBlack for contributing your thoughts to the issue.

Your photo display speaks volumes.

[Starry Messenger]

23. K&R

[DemocratSinceBirth]

24. Joe Lieberman went down to Mississippi during Freedom Summer.

In the summer of 1964, about 1000, mostly white college students traveled to Mississippi as volunteers, assisting civil rights workers there to register thousands of African Americans to vote. Among their number was Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, the Democratic Vice Presidential candidate in 2000. The effort, termed “Freedom Summer,” captured the imagination of the nation and the world at that time.

http://freepress.org/columns/display/4/2005/1094

That was a good way to get yourself spit on, beat up, or possibly killed...The local constabulary was infiltrated by the Klan and looked the other way.


All folks of good will appreciated his contributions but reserved the right to judge him on what he is doing now.

[EffieBlack]

26. Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner . . .

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

27. Bernie doesn't go around bragging. That's idiotic

Last edited Thu Feb 25, 2016, 01:26 AM - Edit history (2)

People have histories. Hillary "brags" about her history working with poor blacks, constantly, before she was calling them "super predators" and supporting policies that put a generation of black men behind bars. Heck, Hillary could be "bragging" about how the Clintons created an industry based on incarcerating black men.

I've done plenty of reading about this. What you and your circle of friends discussed never came up. I can't wait to be done with this backward, Dixie hick state that adores George W. Bush and the Clintons that will vote for a fucking Republican anyway.

Months of Iowa and South Carolina. Two of the biggest WFC states. Enjoy your 15 minutes. We'll go back to ignoring you in a few days.

[Thinkingabout]

28. Thanks for sharing your opinion, I can appreciate and it is nice to see

honesty, just what we need, honest discussions.

[Cali_Democrat]

29. Excellent post.

Thank you.

[sheshe2]

32. This photo moves me to tears

Look at those souls at the Counter being raged at and humiliated. Start with the man, look at his hands, they are clenched. The woman to his left seems to be comforting the other woman, she almost seems casual. Yet look at her hand, she is clenching something hard in her left hand. They both seem to be holding on for dear life at the filth and hate of their abusers. The third woman looks like she is in such pain and very close to tears at the venom of the white rage that is being flung at them.

That image pains me.

[EffieBlack]

36. It is a powerful photo, isn't it?

These brave young people went through extensive training in non-violence to withstand this.

[sheshe2]

34. K&R

Thank you Effie.

[jillan]

37. Not that I think you care but I don't know if you've seen this pic of Bernie that was taken before

he was arrested. Notice the chain around Bernie's ankle and where it lead to, or should I say - to who it lead to.

They were protesting segregated housing & were not leaving.



I don't know what you want. He was an activist in college, was involved in the CORE civil rights movement & stood up for what he believes in. He has never asked for anything in return. He only did this because this is who he is. What he believes in. Equality for all

Here is an excellent diary of his involvement
http://vetsforbernie.org/2016/02/filmmaker-photographer-capture-same-moment-bernie-sanders-arrest/

[EffieBlack]

39. Yes, I've seen this photo. I'm not sure what your point is.

[jillan]

43. My point is this -

And, importantly, they don't see their actions as something they should be praised for and they certainly don't see it as some kind of favor they did for black people for which blacks should be forever grateful.

This was not why Bernie did this - he did it because it was important to him.
He did not do it to be praised or to be thought of as a favor.
He did it because this is who he is. " We are all in this together".

While we were all watching the civil rights movement, the horror of what was going on, not all of us could have been there.
That doesn't mean that we were not hurting for our fellow man & that people wanted to do what they could.

That's all I am saying.

[EffieBlack]

50. I don't think that's why he did it. I'm sure he did it for all of the right reasons

But 50 years later, it is a little annoying to hear this treated as something that black people should be grateful for.

[jillan]

59. Effie - when has he ever asked for anyone to be grateful for what he did?

This was part of his history - that's all that it is.

He also lived in commune.

He was also the mayor. And a congressman before he was a senator.

It's just history.

[EffieBlack]

65. No, he has not said that, but he presents it that way

Perhaps I would not infer from him were it not for his supporters who DO repeatedly and often rudely, tell us in no uncertain terms that we SHOULD be grateful to him, and because "Bernie marched with Dr. King" and "has been fighting for civil rights his entire life," he is so much better for us than Hillary is and if we don't understand that, we are ignorant and and ill-informed and victims of Stockholm Syndrome and tools and sellouts and worse.

[politicaljunkie41910]

38. You're right in that Bernie could do the sit-in at the University of Chicago

sans the hoses and the dogs, and then when the sit-in was over, go home and just be Bernie. Blacks did not have that luxury to decide from day to day whether they felt up to deaing with the oppression that came with being Black in America and turn it on or off. The oppression and dehumanization was everywhere; the job, the surveillance going to and from the job, the less than separate but equal schools, the oppressive conditions they lived in, and the still oppressive policing tactics they continue to be subjected to today. When Bernie got tired he could retreat to the charming picturesque hamlet on the Northeastern coast known as Vermont and just tune out the other unsavory world where those who were sworn to "Protect and Serve" were the Black people's oppressors on almost a daily basis, and all these years later, in many parts of the country not much has changed.

[amborin]

40. most Bernie supporters I come into contact with think everyone

--not just black voters----should vote for Bernie simply because he is the ONLY candidate who will fight for their economic and social interests. Opposing free trade agreements, raising the minimum wage to a survivable level, making public college free, seriously reining in big banks and imposing a transaction tax on speculative trading, winding down US interventionism, and so many more plans, are so crucial to everyone.

Bernie's past and his future plans are crucial on their own.

But then when you compare him to his opponent, the contrast is even more staggering.

Why would black voters vote for someone who championed policies and programs that has such a devastating effect on them?

Why vote for someone who is pro free-trade and who championed NAFTA, when NAFTA had such a terrible effect on black workers?

Why vote for someone who championed mass incarceration? who championed discriminatory drug laws and sentencing guidelines?

[EffieBlack]

45. Your post highlights some of the problems that many black voters have with Sanders supporters

You imply that Bernie supporters' interaction with you defines how they interact with US. You state that they are simply telling people that he is the only candidate who will fight for their interests. But then you proceed to berate us, in the form of a question, and demand to know why WE don't agree with you, as if we owe you an explanation for why we support a candidate. You are neither entitled to nor are we required to explain our vote to you, especially when your questions are framed, not as an earnest attempt to understand how we feel, but as a rhetorical device suggesting there is something wrong with us for seeing things differently than you do.

Your post epitomizes why Sanders is not gaining any traction with black voters. You show no interest in our views - you are just telling us there is only one right path and then demand to know why we aren't toeing the line.

Not an effective outreach strategy.

[amborin]

55. On the contrary, I am interested. What are your views?

Why do you support Hillary?

[ultragreen]

42. Glen Ford doesn't agree with you

Glen Ford of the Black Agenda Report has several articles explaining why AAs support Hillary, rather than Bernie. He has stated that, because they live in fear of conservative white Republicans, they vote for whoever they perceive as most electable because they consider the Democratic party as their source of protection against the Republican party. It should be remembered that when Obama first ran for president, most AAs were skeptical about his ability to win the White House, thus they initially supported Hillary Clinton. It wasn't until Obama started winning the primaries in white-dominated states, like Iowa, that they shifted their support from Hillary Clinton to him.

Glen Ford states that white voters, and Sanders supporters in particular, seek accountability from politicians, not mere protection. Because Hillary Clinton is a heavily compromised candidate who falls short of these higher expectations, her support among white voters in the Democratic primaries is lower.

Glen Ford has also suggested that by supporting Hillary Clinton, AAs feel more powerful and less vulnerable to attack. While Hillary Clinton is an establishment candidate with the support of her party, Bernie Sanders is an outsider who is perceived as being weak. Because Bernie Sanders is perceived as less electable and weaker than Hillary Clinton at the present time, they are less inclined to support him.

For more information: [link:http://www.blackagendareport.com/|

[EffieBlack]

57. He must have missed the secret Black People Meeting where we came up with our talking points

Every now and then, one wanders off. It happens. I'll send someone to go round him up.

[vaberella]

44. What makes Clinton a better candidate for the Black community? Or is John Lewis running?

My reason for supporting Bernie has absolutely nothing to do with the fact he was in the Civil Rights Movement, that was a bonus. I am voting for him because his progressive platform agrees with mine and would be beneficial for Black Americans as it is a national change in our current system that promote social equity, social justice, and social reform. I have yet to hear about Clinton speaking on Police reform policies on their treatment of the citizenry, but I have heard Bernie promote and push for police reform on a national level.

Further more, I see a good majority of your post for John Lewis. Is he running for President? Because I don't know how that in some way negates Bernie standards position and promotes Clinton's position. I just find that to be a strawman argument.

[840high]

60. .^that

[Armstead]

56. Bernie has not typically bragged on it...It's only come up in the Presidential race....

Having followed Bernie for years, I frankly did not hear about it before he ran for president. Doesn't mean he never mentioned it, obviously. But it's not like he built his political identity on what he did in the 60's

He is more present oriented. Like him or not, that's what he focuses on.

Unfortunately he was tarred with an erroneous brush at the beginning of the campaign which sullied his reputation wrongly. That is one reason so much has been made of his early days.
'
Personally, IO think if AAs actually looked at what he is saying and trying to do, he'd be resonating a lot more.

I also don't think AA's are monoliothic. Some might like him, others not, and I think some might initially be put off, but would warm to him over time.

[cherokeeprogressive]

63. "Bernie's work in the civil rights movement" Yeah that doesn't need to be impressive, but it is.

[Waiting For Everyman]

66. So the Clinton Crime Bill creating mass incarceration and

their involvement in creating the private prison industry doesn't bother black people?

http://www.dunwalke.com/10_Clinton_Administration.htm

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511265288

http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/06/politics/bill-clinton-crime-prisons-hillary-clinton/index.html


Ok, well that's very interesting. But I still don't understand how you end mass incarceration by voting for it.

Black people voting for the Clintons is not quite but almost comparable to if the Jews in large numbers had voted for Hitler.

Then on top of that there's the Clinton Welfare reform of the 1990s. Millions of black kids and kids of all races suffered at their hands because of that, yet the Clintons tout how much they have done for children. That's audacity!

Sometimes it's a good idea to be informed so that one doesn't end up hugging it out with the very people who are doing them in. That should be embarrassing, one would think, but apparently not. I can only guess that black leaders are not informing people as they should. It's not my business, (as a white woman) all I can do is shake my head. But I see posts like this here on DU and online and reports on tv, and I think WTF. This is probably the best example there has ever been, of cognitive dissonance.

Btw, Bernie didn't do a couple of protest actions in the 1960s and that was it. He kept fighting ever since then for the issues he believes in, civil rights being among them. Unlike the Clintons, he has been consistent through his entire career. I, personally, started watching him leading the fight for these things in the early 1990s on C-SPAN, and have watched him do it ever since.

The Clintons "work" for black people? That is a sick joke.

[Mufaddal]

69. Thanks for the valuable insight.

That's some good food for thought. Personally, I've always hoped that any appeal Bernie would have in any community is based on policy issues, not his activism history. Don't get me wrong, his activism is one of the many things I love and respect about the guy, but I think the key issue for most voters is policy. Consistency matters as well, of course, and I think that's where his civil rights record comes into play--but it's not the main reason I'd suggest anyone vote for him, and I suspect it's also not the reason he would want people to vote for him.

Anyway, thanks again for the great post.

[NWCorona]

71. I just think some are just struck with the Janet Jackson syndrome.

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

76. BLM was asking Hillary to "brag" about her super predator comment, yesterday

See how it works, now? People ask you to "brag" about your past, then you respond...or as you would say, "brag."

You see, in every article I read, super predator and Arsenio Hall were mentioned, as well as deeply religious church going mothers, among other things. It appears your small circle of friends is an outlier.

[eridani]

77. They prefer the candidate who called black youth "superpredators" ? n/t

[EffieBlack]

80. Most black voters prefer Hillary Clinton

And Bernie supporters repeatedly questioning our choice as if we are misguided, the way you just did, is likely one of the reasons Sanders is not winning over a critical mass of converts in our community.

[eridani]

81. Great. If she geets elected, look forward to even more POC in prison fo drug possession

Where do you get this silly idea that only white people are pointing that out?

[Vinca]

79. FYI, Bernie has never "bragged" about his work in the civil rights movement.

I've been a supporter of Bernie's for 30 or more years and I wasn't aware of it until reading one of his books prior to his presidential announcement. It seems to me if he was "bragging" about it, people who have or had lived in Vermont and voted for Bernie over many decades might have heard him mention it. But, apparently, you prefer the candidate who made horrible comments about AA people and supported her husband's efforts to incarcerate them and restrict social services for them.