STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

Joe Biden Addresses His ‘Diversity’ In African American And Latinx Communities Comment

Symone Sanders also released a statement.

While nearly 160,000 people have died from the coronavirus and Trump says “it  is, what it is,” there is a media firestorm over Joe Biden’s recent comments about diversity.

While talking to a panel with the National Association of Black Journalists-National Association of Hispanic Journalists 2020 virtual convention on Wednesday (August 5), the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee for president was asked about how he would fix relations with Cuba. He pivoted to discussing diversity in the Black community.
Biden said, "And by the way, what you all know but most people don't know, unlike the African American community with notable exceptions, the Latino community is an incredibly diverse community with incredibly different attitudes about different things. You go to Florida you find a very different attitude about immigration in certain places than you do when you're in Arizona. So it's a very different, a very diverse community.”
After intense social media backlash, Biden tweeted out August 6, “Earlier today, I made some comments about diversity in the African American and Latino communities that I want to clarify. In no way did I mean to suggest the African American community is a monolith—not by identity, not on issues, not at all.”

RELATED: Rep. Jim Clyburn Endorses Joe Biden

He continued, “Throughout my career I've witnessed the diversity of thought, background, and sentiment within the African American community. It's this diversity that makes our workplaces, communities, and country a better place.”
The 77-year-old also added, “My commitment to you is this: I will always listen, I will never stop fighting for the African-American community and I will never stop fighting for a more equitable future.”

According to Politico, Symone Sanders, a senior Biden campaign adviser, also  released a statement, "If you look at the full video and transcript, it’s clear that Vice President Biden was referring to diversity of attitudes among Latinos from different Latin American countries. The video that is circulating is conveniently cut to make this about racial diversity but that’s not the case.”

Watch the clip below:

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.