VIDEO: Larry Wilmore Talks Criminal Justice Reform With Bernie Sanders Over Soul Food

By Sameer Rao Sep 23, 2015

It’s hard to know what Larry Wilmore is trying to accomplish with the "Soul Food Sit-Down" bit on "The Nightly Show." Alternately hilarious and poignant, the recurring segment in which he speaks to presidential candidates over soul food often seems dangerously pigeonholing—I mean, why is one of late night’s only two black hosts conducting a political discussion over soul food? Was it his idea? Did a white producer put him up to it?

Regardless of the answers to those questions, Wilmore had an insightful conversation with Senate stalwart and progressive figurehead Bernie Sanders on Monday night’s episode of "The Nightly Show." Amidst gags about "#onfleek" (which Sanders pronounced as "un fleek," showing how un-hip he is in what I can only imagine is a political ploy to make him seem more human), "Weekend at Bernie’s" (he looks almost dead wearing those sunglasses) and a hat that says "Black-Eyed Peas Matter" (a bit tone-deaf, and not terribly funny), Sanders actually got to say something interesting about criminal justice reform in terms that resonate with his campaign’s broader message:

We have got to do everything we can to end institutional racism in this country, and more. We’ve also got to deal with real criminal justice reform. 

Check out the five-minute video of the conversation above.