Presidential Candidate Forums that Address the Concerns of Communities of Color
(in chronological order)

Throughout this election season a number of issues will take center stage. The following forums and debates were organized by diverse sponsors to bring attention to the issues that matter most to communities of color, such as equity in health care, criminal justice, and education. They were compiled to provide a snapshot of the candidates’ views on these important issues.
 
Democratic Primary Debate at South Carolina State University
April 26, 2007

The Democratic Primary Debate at South Carolina State University was the first Presidential Primary debate broadcast from a Historically Black College or University. Although this debate focused heavily on the Iraq war, candidates were able to address domestic issues such as health care, gun control, and abortion. The date of this debate was also unique in that it was the earliest ever in a U.S. presidential campaign, nine months before the democratic presidential primary.

All-American Presidential Forums on PBS (Democratic Forum)
June 28, 2007

The first All-American Presidential Forum on PBS was hosted by Tavis Smiley at Howard University. Inspired by the book The Covenant with Black America, this democratic forum contained a range of domestic issues such as crime, Hurricane Katrina, race in America, health care, economic disparities, and poverty. A specific question regarding HIV/AIDS was posed to the candidates.  Michael Martin asked the candidates what their plan was to stop and protect young people from HIV/AIDS. The All-American Presidential Forums on PBS are unique since they mark the first time that a panel exclusively comprised of journalists of color has been represented in primetime.

National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Presidential Candidate Forum
June 30, 2007

NALEO hosted the NALEO Presidential Candidate Forum as part of their 24th Annual Conference in Orlando, FL which brought together nearly 1,000 Latino leaders from across the country. NALEO invited all of the presidential candidates to attend. Of the invited candidates; all of the democratic candidates participated in the forum, and republican candidate Rep. Duncan Hunter participated as well. Each candidate was questioned by NALEO members during the two-hour moderated forum. Specific health care issues that were discussed include: health care access, quality, and costs, diversity within the health care system, health care coverage for small business workers, mental health care for military veterans, the uninsured, and chronic diseases.

NAACP Candidate Forum (Democratic and Republican)
July 12, 2007

The NAACP presidential candidate forums were moderated by television news journalist, Russ Mitchell. All Democratic candidates participated, while Rep. Tom Tancredo was the only Republican candidate to attend. At the forum, each candidate responded to five questions from NAACP delegates on topics including health care, gun violence voting rights, unfair trade and labor practices, and education. As the nation's oldest civil rights organization committed to social justice, the NAACP drew 3,000 people to the presidential forum.

National Urban League Presidential Forum on Urban Issues
July 27, 2007

The National Urban League’s Presidential Forum on Urban Issues brought out Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, former Sen. John Edwards, and Rep. Dennis Kucinich. This forum took place during the National Urban League’s Annual Convention in St. Louis, Missouri.  Moderated by award-winning journalist George Curry, this forum provided the candidates each with twenty minutes to speak to issues contained in the National Urban League Opportunity Compact.

National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ): A Conversation with America’s Candidates Series
August 9-10, 2007

During the NABJ Annual Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton both made individual appearances. No other candidates who were invited were present. Sen. Clinton spoke about helping young black men stay out of prison by providing them with better education and job opportunities and Sen. Obama addressed health care and education reform, crime and the economy, as well as the importance of journalists covering stories that are focused on specific struggles in the African-American community.

Univision Presidential Debate
September 9, 2007

The Univision Presidential Debate, which was the first-ever Spanish language presidential debate in history, was held at the University of Miami. All of the Democratic candidates participated, except for Sen. Joe Biden.  Univision network news anchors Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas co-moderated the debate. Although immigration was a main topic during the debate, some candidates spoke extensively about their health care plans and on the U.S. health care crisis. Other topics addressed during the debate included education, national security, and foreign policy. Although the debate was entirely in Spanish, an English transcript is available.

All-American Presidential Forums on PBS (Republican Forum)
September 27, 2007

The second All-American Presidential Forum on PBS featured candidates: Rep. Tom Tancredo, Rep. Ron Paul, Rep. Duncan Hunter, Former Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sen. Sam Brownback, and Dr. Alan Keyes. Also hosted by Tavis Smiley, the Republican forum took place at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. Questions to the Republican candidates were posed by Tavis Smiley, Ray Suarez, Cynthia Tucker, and Juan Williams. The candidates discussed various issues including health care access, the economy, voting rights, affirmative action, capitol punishment, immigration, criminal justice, and other topics of interest to racial and ethnic minorities.

MSNBC Democratic Presidential Debate
January 15, 2008

The Nevada Democratic Party partnered with MSNBC, the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, IMPACTO, 100 Black Men of America, and the College of Southern Nevada to host the second Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas, Nevada. Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and former Senator John Edwards were in attendance. Taking place on the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday, the candidates discussed the issue of race in the U.S., as well as health care, economic development, education, and the war in Iraq.

The Congressional Black Caucus Institute Democratic Primary Presidential Debate
January 21, 2008 

The CBCI Democratic Primary Presidential Debate was a collaborative effort between the Congressional Black Caucus Institute, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, and CNN. This forum took place in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on January 21 and featured the three remaining democratic presidential candidates, Senators Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama and former Senator John Edwards. CNN Anchor Wolf Blitzer moderated the debate, and CNN correspondent Joe Johns and White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux served as panelists. This debate was vital to addressing the issues of concern for African American voters in South Carolina and across the country. The debate fell only days before the South Carolina presidential primary and on the national holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Other issues discussed included the war in Iraq, the need for an economic stimulus, and an extensive discussion of health care. To see the video or read the transcript, click here.