Washington Post: "How Cornel West Hurts Bernie Sanders"

[Empowerer]

33. "Perhaps there's no one reminding them of it?" Are you serious?

First, while you probably didn't intend it as such, that is an extremely offensive and patronizing comment. Black people don't need to be "reminded" of political matters. We're quite knowledgeable about politics and current affairs and can think for ourselves.

Second, the Clintons have a long relationship with the black community stretching back more than a quarter century that has earned them a significant store of goodwill and left them some room for error. And while some blacks were very unhappy with them for things that were done and said in 2008, that was not a unanimous or even pervasive view - plenty of other African Americans didn't have a problem with it at all. And their actions since then went a long way in overcoming the problem.

So we don't need to be told whether and how and by whom we should be offended. The Clintons have earned and enjoy enormous support in the black community and any attempt by white folks to second guess that is just out of line - it is not your place to tell us how we should feel about them. By the same token, Cornel West has behaved and continues to behave in a manner that many of us feel is unacceptable and that view, too, is far outside of the realm of what you have a right to second guess. It is what it is and you should just accept and respect that.