Democrats in South Carolina will head to their local polling stations on Saturday to determine whether or not their state’s delegates align themselves with Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders. Clinton bested Sanders by just a few points in Nevada and maintains a much higher delegate count, but the Vermont senator won the popular vote in New Hampshire earlier. In addition, his support (courted and otherwise) among the African-American community continues to grow, as evidenced by film director Spike Lee’s endorsement on Tuesday.
As reported by The Hill and several other media outlets, the Sanders campaign unveiled a new 60-second radio advertisement in South Carolina ahead of Saturday’s primary. Lee speaks throughout the ad, introducing himself and addressing the audience, telling them to “wake up” and align themselves with Sanders at the polls.
“Wake up, South Carolina! This is your dude, Spike Lee, and I know that you know that the system is rigged… 99 percent of Americans were hurt by the Great Recession of 2008, and many are still recovering. And that’s why I’m officially endorsing my brother, Bernie Sanders. Bernie takes no money from corporations. Nada! Which means he is not on the take. And when Bernie gets in the White House, he will do the right thing.”
Shameless Do the Right Thing plug aside, Lee goes on to credit Sanders for marching in Washington, D.C., with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on August 28, 1963. He also mentions the candidate’s arrest at a Chicago protest against segregation during the same era.
The director joins other notable African-American public figures like intellectual and activist Cornel West, actor Danny Glover, singer Harry Belafonte and former NAACP President Ben Jealous in supporting Sanders ahead of Saturday’s vote in South Carolina. For more, check out the 60-second spot below.
(Via The Hill)