Skip to content
  • Essence GU
  • Beautycon
  • NaturallyCurly
  • Afropunk
  • Essence Studios
  • Soko Mrkt
  • Ese Funds
  • Refinery29
  • 2025 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Lifestyle
  • Entrepreneurship
  • News
  • Shopping
  • Video
  • Events
  • Subscribe
Home • News

Yang: It's 'An Honor And Disappointment' To Be The Only Candidate Of Color At 6th Debate

Yang claimed that more candidates of color would be on the stage if his "basic income" policy - which guarantees every adult $1,000 a month - came to fruition.
Yang: It's 'An Honor And Disappointment' To Be The Only Candidate Of Color At 6th Debate
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
By Breanna Edwards · Updated December 6, 2020

Thursday’s Democratic presidential debate had the smallest grouping of candidates, yet. And along with the thinning crowd of contenders who have either tapped out or failed to meet the DNC’s qualifying threshold came the notable absence of representation when it came to people of color.

Entrepreneur Andrew Yang was the sole candidate of color who made the cut for the sixth debate, which he noted as “both an honor and disappointment,” as he referenced the absence of Sens. Kamala Harris (Calif.) who dropped out of the race earlier this month and Cory Booker (NJ) who did not meet the qualifications.

“It’s both an honor and disappointment to be the lone candidate of color on this stage tonight. I miss Kamala, I miss Cory, though I think Cory will be back,” Yang said.

Article continues after video.

Also absent from the stage was former Health and Human Services Secretary Julian Castro, who also failed to make it to the December debate.

Yang, the son of immigrants from Taiwan, pointed at the income disparity between white, Black and Latinx households for the notable absence of candidates of color.

“The average net worth of a Black household is only 10% that of a white household. For Latinos it’s 12%,” he emphasized. “Fewer than 5% of Americans donate to political campaigns. You know what you need to donate to political campaigns? Disposable income.”

Andrew Yang: "I'd guarantee" that if every American had a guaranteed minimum income, "I would not be the only candidate of color on this stage tonight." #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/uPqZbXIbJZ

— PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) December 20, 2019

Yang then went on to once again pitch his signature “basic income” policy, through which he wants to guarantee every adult $1,000 monthly, noting, “I guarantee if we had a freedom dividend of $1,000 a month, I would not be the only candidate of color on this stage tonight.”

TOPICS:  2020 Andrew Yang black-women cory booker debate decision 2020 democratic Democratic presidential candidates democratic presidential debate election Election 2020 essence kamala harris MSNBC News poll president