Thirty-one years ago Saturday, Donald Trump and Joe Biden appeared on nationally televised broadcasts that aired less than an hour apart, both making statements that were revealing about the legacies they were creating on issues of race. Now, their handling of race is converging in a bigger way: during a presidential campaign in which the issue of race is more central than at any point since 1968. As the largest civil unrest in U.S. history plays out, more Americans than at any point since 1968 say race relations is the most important problem facing the country. That has Biden and President Trump refocusing their campaigns on the issue of race in ways that at times intersect with their pasts. Last month provided a new chapter: Biden named someone who once attacked his record on race to be his running mate.

Source: Washington Post August 14, 2020 12:01 UTC