Pete Buttigieg attends Black gay fundraiser amidst criticism he’s ‘anti-Black and anti-poor’
Pete Buttigieg was interrupted by Black Lives Matter protestors at a campaign rally earlier in the week. (Getty/Twitter)
US presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg this week attended a Black gay fundraiser, co-hosted by Empire writer/director Lee Daniels.
In the same week, Black Lives Matter activists protested a Buttigieg campaign rally and questioned the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, over his record on race.
During the fundraiser, which was held at the home of Jordan Fudge, a managing partner of the venture-capital firm Sinai Ventures, Buttigieg was questioned about his plans to become president.
One of the 90 attendees was Phill Wilson, longtime HIV activist and BLACK AIDS Institute co-founder, who later called Buttigieg a “charismatic, active listener”.
“The mayor had a very thoughtful, interesting answer based in some history,” Wilson told the Los Angeles Blade during the fundraiser.
“Number one, that all of the victorious Democratic nominees over the last 50 years have been generational change candidates; that they’ve all been outside candidates; a candidate that has sparked imagination; and they have spoken about a new vision for America.
“He believes, and I actually do concur, that he fits that bill…. I think that he is a candidate that is worthy of serious, serious consideration.”
A dozen demonstrators wearing Black Lives Matter shirts interrupted and heckled Buttigieg with concerns about his past actions during a campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa on Sunday, January 12.
One person could be heard quizzing the Democrat on his controversial housing record, accusing him of “demolishing hundreds” of homes in the local black community.
WATCH: Pete Buttigieg was interrupted by Black Lives Matter protesters here in Iowa challenging his record as South Bend Mayor—he told them, “I think your facts are a little wrong, so I’d love a chance to talk with you about it, but I’d like for us to talk about it respectfully.” pic.twitter.com/dYO106Jyzz
— DJ Judd (@DJJudd) January 13, 2020
Speaking to Buttigieg’s record on race, Wilson said: “All of the candidates should be challenged on whether or not their policies have been responsive enough to the needs of black and brown and poor people.
“Clearly, mayor Pete has to be held accountable for how he responded to the needs of the black citizens in South Bend, without a doubt.
“I think that if we also have been tracking, there have been people that have been calling out Joe Biden on his race position, Kamala Harris on her race position. I think that we should be holding all the candidates accountable.”
