Jesse Jackson: Biden was on the ‘wrong side of history’ on busing

The Rev. Jesse Jackson on Friday hit former Vice President Joe Biden for his 1970s stance on busing black students into majority white schools, which came up during the Democratic primary debate the night before.

“My judgment is it was the wrong side of history,” the civil rights activist in a CNN interview. 

{mosads}Jackson, who was a Democratic presidential candidate in 1984 and 1988, said that Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), who criticized Biden’s stance in the Thursday night debate, “was on point.”

Biden spoke at Jackson’s Rainbow PUSH Coalition in Chicago on Friday, and Jackson posted a picture on Twitter of himself with the former Delaware senator.  

Harris on Thursday night accused Biden of being opposed to busing those students and also criticized recent comments he made about working with segregationist senators. She noted that she personally benefited from such busing. 

Biden had previously received criticism for saying that there had been “civility” when he worked with segregationist Sens. James Eastland (D-Miss.) and Herman Talmadge (D-Ga.) in the 1970s. 

“It was hurtful to hear you talk about the reputations of two United States senators who built their reputations and career on the segregation of race in this country,” she said Thursday night. 

 

“Biden claimed Harris “mischaracterized my position across the board.”

Biden and Harris are among more than two dozen people vying for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.