From the nation’s capital to the South Carolina Statehouse to the Rev. Al Sharpton’s storefront headquarters in Harlem, the gatherings were solemn, spirited and reflected the fraught nature of what would have been the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 90th year. They also reflected the political imperative of reaching out to black voters who are a crucial part of the Democratic coalition and are increasingly demanding accountability on race from their own leaders. Taking the podium at a breakfast in Washington, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., who was first elected to public office the year after Dr. King’s assassination, acknowledged that more was expected of him at this moment.

Source: New York Times January 21, 2019 19:16 UTC