August 6, 2020 | 9:47pm
Democratic nominee Joe Biden on Thursday attempted to clarify comments he made earlier in the day suggesting that the African American population is not as “diverse” as the Latino community.
“In no way did I mean to suggest the African American community is a monolith—not by identity, not on issues, not at all,” Biden tweeted Thursday night.
“Throughout my career I’ve witnessed the diversity of thought, background, and sentiment within the African American community,” he went on. “It’s this diversity that makes our workplaces, communities, and country a better place.”
The former veep made the head-scratching “diversity” remark during a roundtable interview with black and Hispanic reporters released Thursday.
Biden was responding to a question asking if he would “re-engage” with Cuba’s Communist government, to which he responded, “yes,” before comparing beliefs of blacks and Latinos.
“By the way, what you all know, but most people don’t know, unlike the African American community, with notable exceptions, the Latino community is an incredibly diverse community with incredibly different attitudes about different things,” Biden went on in the interview.
Biden on Twitter later pledged commitment to African Americans.
“I will always listen, I will never stop fighting for the African American community and I will never stop fighting for a more equitable future,” he added.
