WASHINGTON—
Former Vice President Joe Biden was among the handful of political leaders — and potential 2020 presidential candidates — who traversed the nation on Monday to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Biden, who is thought to be mulling over a presidential run, said that it was no coincidence that King spent the final days of his life rallying on behalf of striking sanitation workers.
“He was insisting garbage workers be treated with dignity,” said Biden, who addressed more than 400 people at the Rev. Al Sharpton’s annual National Action Network’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. breakfast held at the Mayflower Renaissance Hotel.
Biden said that under the Trump administration, the number of hate and racist incidents have steadily increased.
“It doesn’t take much to awaken hate,” he said. “We have to speak out. We have to challenge these forces of hate. This is not our America. This is not who we are.”
Biden said that “systematic racism that most of us Whites don’t like to admit exist,” continues to pose a serious challenge.
