Outgoing DNC chair Jaime Harrison pushes back against critics of 'identity politics'
Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison has delivered a steadfast defense of his party’s commitment to racial equity
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison delivered a steadfast defense of his party’s commitment to racial equity Thursday, drawing on his own identity as a Black man to push back forcefully against critics who say Democrats need to abandon “identity politics.”
People of color need to see Democrats fighting for them, and that “cannot be the excuse for why we win or lose," Harrison said in a passionate speech to state Democratic chairs meeting in Arizona.
"When I wake up in the morning, when I look in the mirror, when I step out the door, I can’t rub this off," he said, waving his hand in front of his face. “This is who I am. This is how the world perceives me.”
“That is my identity,” he continued. “And it is not politics. It is my life. And the people that I need in the party, that I need to stand up for me, have to recognize that. You cannot run away from that."
