Tension erupted on the second night of the 2020 Democratic debate when Kamala Harris directed a poignant and personal statement directly to Joe Biden.
Turning her head to look directly at the former vice president, the 54-year-old California senator said, “I will direct this at vice president Biden, I do not believe you are a racist and I agree with you when you commit yourself to the importance of finding common ground, but I also believe and it’s personal and it was hurtful to hear you talk about the reputations of two United States senator who is built their reputations and career on the segregation of race in this country.”
She continued, “It was not only that, but you also worked with them to oppose busing. There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools and she was bused to school every day. That little girl was me.”
Indicating her attack on Biden, 76, was carefully planned, a photo of the California senator when she was six was tweeted out from her account. “There was a little girl in California who was bussed to school,” she said. “That little girl was me.”
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There was a little girl in California who was bussed to school. That little girl was me. #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/XKm2xP1MDH
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 28, 2019
Moments earlier, Harris had addressed the recent controversy over Biden’s wistful reminiscences about working with pro-segregationist Democratic senators. She used that to segue into Biden’s support, along with those segregationists, for anti-busing legislation.
Harris was initially responding to questions of racial tension related to Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s recent turmoil in South Bend, Indiana over the shooting death of a black man by a white police officer. While moderators initially tried to stop Harris from responding in favor of other candidates, the senator responded sharply insisting she would like to speak on the issue of race.
Harris said: “So I will tell you that on this subject, it cannot be an intellectual debate among Democrats. We have to take it seriously. We have to act swiftly. As Attorney general of California, I was proud to put in place a requirement that all my special agents would wear body cameras and keep those cameras on.”
