Bernie Sanders Kicks off HBCU Tour Today

By Sameer Rao Jan 14, 2016

Democratic presidential nominee and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is beginning a tour at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) today, January 14.

His "Feel The Bern" tour kicks off tonight at South Carolina State University. According to a statement from his campaign, the tour will later go to Howard University, the Atlanta University Center and Florida A&M University, among other HBCUs. Dr. Cornel West is also slated to speak at the first stop tonight on "a wide range of issues, including making public colleges and universities tuition-free and criminal justice reform."

Coupled with Sanders’ outlining of a racial justice platform and high-profile endorsements from the likes of Killer Mike, this tour seems to be part of a concerted strategy to reach out to communities (and especially millenials) of color—constituencies to whom even Sanders acknowledged he needs to reach in order to win the Democratic presidential nomination.

(H/t NPR)