Video: Who really stands up for African Americans?
- Text by Alex King
“The Bernie Sanders campaign is a loooooove train.” explains Cornell West. “Get in on the movement.”
With the greatest African-American academic of our generation and one of the world’s foremost radical intellectuals coming out for him, you might expect Sanders to be making strong headway among black voters.
But Bernie is still struggling to dislodge Hillary Clinton’s dominance among the African American community. Although Sanders was boosted by winning 30% of the African American vote in Michigan, exit polls in Mississippi’s Democratic primary showed 89% of black voters supported Clinton and Sanders has struggled to win above 15% of the vote with black people in the south.
As the race for the democratic nomination comes down to the final rounds, the African American vote looks increasingly like it could be the decisive factor.
But which candidate has really earned those votes? Who has the best track record on issues that disproportionately affect the black community, like police brutality; access to healthcare and education; and the prison industrial complex?
Comedian Matt Orfalea has entered the fray with his video mashup of Sander’s high-profile supporters, including Killer Mike, Harry Belafonte, Spike Lee and Erica Garner, daughter of Eric Garner, who featured in Sanders’ brilliant campaign video It’s Not Over (below).
Orfalea’s video polemic comes hot on the heels of his brilliant explainer on the Sanders campaign, Do The Bernie Bongo (below).
In just three-and-a-half minutes, his bongo rap tells you more about Bernie Sanders’ all-conquering presidential campaign than any nightly news report.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like

Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong tells ICE to “fuck off” in LA protest video
Saviors — The singer shared the post on Sunday, featuring the band’s recently released song ‘Fuck Off’ as its soundtrack.
Written by: Isaac Muk

Meet the Kumeyaay, the indigenous peoples split by the US-Mexico border wall
A growing divide — In northwestern Mexico and parts of Arizona and California, the communities have faced isolation and economic struggles as physical barriers have risen in their ancestral lands. Now, elders are fighting to preserve their language and culture.
Written by: Alicia Fàbregas

A new book explores Tupac’s revolutionary politics and activism
Words For My Comrades — Penned by Dean Van Nguyen, the cultural history encompasses interviews with those who knew the rapper well, while exploring his parents’ anti-capitalist influence.
Written by: Isaac Muk

A reading of the names of children killed in Gaza lasts over 18 hours
Choose Love — The vigil was held outside of the UK’s Houses of Parliament, with the likes of Steve Coogan, Chris O’Dowd, Nadhia Sawalha and Misan Harriman taking part.
Written by: Isaac Muk

Youth violence’s rise is deeply concerning, but mass hysteria doesn’t help
Safe — On Knife Crime Awareness Week, writer, podcaster and youth worker Ciaran Thapar reflects on the presence of violent content online, growing awareness about the need for action, and the two decades since Saul Dibb’s Bullet Boy.
Written by: Ciaran Thapar

The UK is now second-worst country for LGBTQ+ rights in western Europe
Rainbow regression — It’s according to new rankings in the 2025 Rainbow Europe Map and Index, which saw the country plummet to 45th out of 49 surveyed nations for laws relating to the recognition of gender identity.
Written by: Ella Glossop