Speaking in Iowa, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) reiterated his promised to fight the hardest to end racism as the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate.
Sanders read off a list of names of black people who have been killed by police officers or while in police custody and shouted to the crowd, "that has got to end."
CLEAR LAKE, IA - AUGUST 14: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks at the Iowa Democratic Wing Ding August 14, 2015 in Clear Lake, Iowa. The Wing Ding is held at the historic Surf Ballroom, where Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens played their final concert, and featured Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Martin OÕMalley and Lincoln Chaffee. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
"And let me promise you, as somebody who has one of the strongest civil rights records in the United States Congress, nobody will fight harder than I will to end racism in America and to reform our broken criminal justice system," Sanders continued.
According to the Des Moines Register, Sanders received several standing ovations from the crowd throughout the duration of his speech on August 14.
Like several Republican presidential candidates, Sanders also drew a comparison between the U.S. and China — but this time to compare the number of those incarcerated.
"We have in America more people in jail than do the people of any other country including China, and the people in jail are disproportionally people of color," he said.
While attempting to give a speech in Seattle, Washington on August 8, Sanders was pushed aside as Black Lives Matter activists took over the stage and microphone. Activists warned Sanders that if he did not let the protestors speak, they would shut down the event. Eventually, Sanders left the stage and posed for photos with voters, his speech abandoned.
After that incident, Sanders released a racial justice platform on his campaign website that explores physical, political and legal violence, drawing praise from black activists. And before heading to Iowa, Sanders spoke to a packed arena in Los Angeles with almost an identical message.
"There is no president that will fight harder to end institutional racism," he said.
On the other side of the aisle, criminal justice reform has remained a major issue for Republican presidential contender Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky who worked with Sen. Corey Booker (D-N.J.) on legislation to overhaul the criminal justice system.
"Since taking office, I have found that one of the biggest impediments to finding a job is a criminal record," Paul says on his website. "Upon examining our nation’s criminal justice system, I found that the system is in desperate need of reform."
