Stories

Biden: Jim Crow is sneaking back in

Former Vice President Joe Biden says Jim Crow laws are creeping back in.
Former Vice President Joe Biden. Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Image

Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden on Saturday criticized President Trump and other Republicans during a speech on voting rights in which he said Jim Crow-era laws were returning.

Quote
You’ve got Jim Crow sneaking back in. You know what happens when you have an equal right to vote? They lose."

Details: Biden made the remarks during his first presidential campaign stop in South Carolina — where black voters play a vital role in the South’s first presidential primary, per AP.

Why it matters: A September report by the bipartisan U.S. Commission on Civil Rights found Justice Department efforts to protect minority voters' rights have declined since the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision to invalidate a key provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act. The House Oversight Committee is investigating allegations of voter suppression in several states.

Go deeper:

Joe Biden