WATCH: MSNBC's African American Panel Explains Their Issue With Mayor Pete

Beth Baumann | February 08, 2020 4:30 PM

It's no secret that former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg has had issues attracting voters from the African American community. It's the one demographic he has continually struggled with. Part of his struggle with the black community is his youth. He doesn't have the same national profile and long-standing relationship with the African American community the way former Vice President Joe Biden does, Reuters reported before the Iowa Caucuses.

Not only does he lack that support but those in his own community take issue with his leadership. The South Bend Police Department is predominantly white and lacks any diversity. The other issue is the shooting of a black man by a white officer.

It also doesn't help that back in November Buttigieg's campaign released a list of 400 black South Carolinians that endorsed him and 40 percent of the list ended up being white people. Add in the fact that his campaign utilized stock photos from Kenya and a resurfaced clip that shows him explaining how minority children don't have many examples of a successful education.

MSNBC conducted a panel with four African Americans to ask them specifically about Buttigieg's attempts at wooing the black community.

The panel moderator asked, point-blank, what Mayor Pete needs to learn about the black community.

"A lot," a young man replied. "I think he just needs to understand that you just can't give African Americans lipservice. We want to see real tangible change. The only thing that matters to us, really, is money in our hand. You know, we need to see the resources are flowing into our communities and that's what he doesn't really understand. I think he works off a spreadsheet but he doesn't really understand the impact of his decisions and policies. He doesn't have that real connection."