Senators Ted Kennedy and James Eastland; Gettyimages; Bettmann
Joe Biden’s story about working with segregationists tells us a lot about him and the Democratic Party. According to Biden he and Senator Ted Kennedy worked with leading Senate segregationists like Senator James O. Eastland and Herman Tallmadge. Biden told this story to Democrats at a fundraising event to highlight his ability to work with whom he has substantial differences. Biden also credited members of the Senate at that time with the civility to allow cooperation members who had sharp differences. In this rendering of the story, Biden said Eastland called him “son,” but not “boy.” In previous versions of this story, Eastland called Kennedy “boy” and Biden “son.”
Critics, including Presidential contenders Senator Cory Booker and Bill de Blasio, blasted Biden for relating this story. Critics said that there was no reason to use segregationists as examples of Senate cordiality. Booker reinforced this criticism by questioning Biden’s allusion to Eastland’s use of the racial diminutive “boy.” Booker contended that the story of segregationist and racist, referring to a white man as “son” but not “boy” was painful. Biden claimed the reference was taken out of context. Members of Biden’s staff admitted that Biden had garbled the story; they did not comment on why Biden garbled a story he had often told.
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Some Democrats grasped other insights from Biden’s story. These Democrats claimed Biden should have known his story was misplaced. According to them, Democrats have always been willing to work across the aisle. The Republican Party, which became the home of southern conservatives, stopped working with Democrats. The demise of cordial collaboration between Republicans and Democrats coincided with the end of legal segregation. Cordiality disappeared with the Presidency of Barack Obama, even though Biden was his Vice-President. Can Biden claim the ability to work with Republicans like Majority Leader Mitch McConnell without also resorting to white privilege?
Racial and demographic changes in the country and party calls for whites to show more sensitivity to race. But a higher sensitivity to race means more than being against racism. It also means being sensitive to choices that affect blacks, such as what stories to tell, what words to use telling those stories, and what positions to take on issues like policing the police. Today coordination between Democrats and Republicans will require consideration of the outcome for blacks, as well as comity. Biden, for example, collaborated with Eastland to undermine school desegregation. As a result, desegregation in employment and housing was debilitated.
Racial and demographic changes in the country and party calls for whites to show more sensitivity to race. But a higher sensitivity to race means more than being against racism. It also means being sensitive to choices that affect blacks, such as what stories to tell, what words to use telling those stories, and what positions to take on issues like policing the police. Today coordination between Democrats and Republicans will require consideration of the outcome for blacks, as well as comity. Biden, for example, collaborated with Eastland to undermine school desegregation. As a result, desegregation in employment and housing was debilitated.
Some blacks did come to Biden’s rescue. But their defense of Biden as a non-racist and civil rights champion points to fissure in the Democratic Party among blacks. Elder establishmentarians like Congressman John Lewis may appreciate the courtesy shown by conservatives as they build bulwarks against racial change. Younger activists, however, are less willing to trade comity for their goals. Biden should look to the future like the black younger activists rather than to the past like Trump.