00:00I'm Tanya Christian, News and Politics Editor at Essence Magazine.
00:04Recently, I, along with News and Politics Director Ayesha Callahan,
00:07sat down with a number of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates.
00:11Michael Bennett is a senator from Colorado.
00:14The prostate cancer survivor is also an advocate of universal health care.
00:19What message do you want to send to black women voters?
00:22I think my main message is that we need to have universal health care in this country
00:26so that people have the maternal care that they need, the pediatric care that they need.
00:31And we need an education system in this country that is actually liberating people
00:36from their economic circumstances rather than reinforcing the income inequality that we have.
00:41Our schools are less fair than they were 50 years ago in this country.
00:45And I think for black women in this country, that's a huge concern.
00:50It's a huge concern of mine because I used to be the superintendent of Denver Public Schools,
00:54and I've seen what that inequity looks like.
00:57Which three issues do you view as most important heading into the 2020 election and why?
01:03I would say the number one issue is the lack of economic mobility for 90% of Americans over the last 40 years.
01:10Over the last 40 years, while the economy has grown for almost everyone in America, it hasn't grown.
01:15And actually, for most Americans, it's been a recession.
01:18While the people at the very top have benefited.
01:21And now we've got the worst income inequality that we've had since 1928.
01:25That's more than 100 years ago.
01:27And the democracy doesn't do well when you have that kind of income inequality.
01:31So I'd say that's issue number one.
01:33Issue number two are the other things that are contributing to that inequality,
01:37which include, in my view, a lack of quality education in America and a lack of universal health care in America.
01:43So we need to solve for those problems as well.
01:45And then I would say the third issue is climate change.
01:49Because if the next generation of Americans, you know, if we don't do what we're supposed to do,
01:55the next generation may not be able to fix it because it may be too far gone.
02:00So I'd say those three issues, in my mind, are all critical and need to be addressed by the next president.
02:06Can you speak to how your proposed policies or plans will directly improve underserved communities of color should you become president?
02:14I've talked about education, so I've put that to one side, but I think that's a critical issue.
02:20I believe that my tax proposals are the most significant anti-poverty measures that have been offered since Medicaid was passed in the 1960s,
02:29in particular the American Family Act, which would dramatically increase the child tax credit in this country.
02:35Instead of paying people out on an annual basis, it would be paid out on a monthly basis so that families with kids could make decisions about how to provide health care for their children,
02:45how to provide housing, how to provide early childhood, how to provide higher education for themselves and for their kids.
02:52You know, the Trump tax bill was exactly the opposite of that.
02:56We, and since 2001, we've cut taxes in this country by $5 trillion.
03:02Almost all the benefit has gone to the wealthiest people in America, which has just made income inequality worse.
03:08My proposals would do the exact opposite of that, and it would be particularly important for families of color in this country
03:14who have not had a real tax cut and not had the chance to be able to spend on housing, health care, and early childhood education the way they should be able to.
03:23And by the way, when they do, it drives the economy for everybody.
03:27Thanks to all the candidates for taking the time to speak with us.
03:30Stay tuned to Essence's platforms for our next exclusive interview.
03:34I'm Tanya Christian, and thank you for watching.
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