Senate hopeful says McConnell ‘will never talk about structural racism’

Kentucky Senate hopeful and state Rep. Charles Booker (D) said Thursday that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), whom he is trying to unseat, “will never talk about structural racism.”

“Now listen, Mitch McConnell will never talk about structural racism,” Booker told Hill.TV. “Neither will a pro-Trump Democrat. But if we don’t get to the heart of these real issues, we’re not going to be able to end generational poverty.”

He called for “system-level change,” saying the recent cases of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, black Americans who were allegedly killed by police in Louisville and Minneapolis, respectively, exemplify that “for so many of us, our humanity is denied.”

“In many cases, if you look like me, if you come from where I come from, you’re gonna be seen as a deadly weapon before you’re seen as a human being,” Booker said. 

“So many Kentuckians, so many Americans, so many people feel ignored and they’re fighting back and rightfully so,” he said. “And my campaign is a testament to that in saying I honor that humanity, and I’m pushing for structural change.”

Kentucky’s 2020 primary has been postponed from May 19 to June 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Booker will face Amy McGrath, who was endorsed by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, as they seek the nomination to take on McConnell.