--- title: Race: Bernie Sanders Is Wrong To Ignore 'Black Lives Matter' description: He should pass the microphone willingly over to those who most need to be heard canonical: https://time.com/3996001/bernie-sanders-black-lives-matter/ author: Darlena Cunha article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-08-13T19:55:36.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:58:11.324Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Race: Bernie Sanders Is Wrong To Ignore 'Black Lives Matter' og:description: He should pass the microphone willingly over to those who most need to be heard og:url: https://time.com/3996001/bernie-sanders-black-lives-matter/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltca3fad61e1ed3ee1/69885f1ee53aba5d1e4df105/bernie.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4000 og:image:height: 2250 og:image:alt: U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders gestures as he speaks during a campaign event at the LA Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles on Aug. 10, 2015. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Race: Bernie Sanders Is Wrong To Ignore 'Black Lives Matter' twitter:description: He should pass the microphone willingly over to those who most need to be heard twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltca3fad61e1ed3ee1/69885f1ee53aba5d1e4df105/bernie.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Bernie Sanders Is Wrong To Ignore 'Black Lives Matter' > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=16e46315-dba4-4428-a44c-c0bde73bae85&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=16e46315-dba4-4428-a44c-c0bde73bae85&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=16e46315-dba4-4428-a44c-c0bde73bae85&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=16e46315-dba4-4428-a44c-c0bde73bae85&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Watch: Bernie Sanders Campaign Rally In Arizona [Watch (HLS stream): Watch: Bernie Sanders Campaign Rally In Arizona](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/OjiQqUvD.m3u8) (0:44)  _Published 2015-07-19. Watch: Bernie Sanders Campaign Rally In Arizona_ by [Darlena Cunha](https://time.com/author/darlena-cunha/) ## Darlena Cunha Aug 13, 2015 7:55 PM UTC  U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders gestures as he speaks during a campaign event at the LA Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles on Aug. 10, 2015. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders gestures as he speaks during a campaign event at the LA Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles on Aug. 10, 2015. Bloomberg via Getty Images by [Darlena Cunha](https://time.com/author/darlena-cunha/) ## Darlena Cunha Aug 13, 2015 7:55 PM UTC After protestors with the “Black Lives Matter” movement took the stage during a [Bernie Sanders rally](http://www.vox.com/2015/8/11/9127653/bernie-sanders-black-lives-matter) in Seattle Saturday to criticize the presidential candidate for not paying enough attention to issues of race, the Sanders campaign came up with a solution: It decided to [shout down](http://www.buzzfeed.com/evanmcsan/sanders-campaign-has-an-official-shout-down-chant-for-blackl#.ucvBWlXBZ) future protestors with the phrase, “We stand together.” This is the worst idea in the campaign’s short life. Think about it: It involves hundreds of mostly white people shouting what is essentially “All lives matter” at the black people who dare to attempt to be heard. “Black Lives Matter” is not an agenda. It’s not a catchy slogan for political points. It’s a movement that is trying to save the lives of those who live in fear every single day. Those who ignore race issues are standing by as our fellow men and women fall in the streets, in their cars, in the prison system, and in their own homes and neighborhoods. Nothing matters as much as life itself. Issues such as the economy, education, and the military are all very important, but as long as many white people continue to focus on those issues before they get around to addressing the issues of race, those advocating for “Black Lives Matter” have to force the microphone from their hands. Why attack Sanders when there are so many other, more suitable, opponents who have a worse record on addressing these issues? Because he might be the one [most likely to listen](http://www.vox.com/2015/8/11/9127653/bernie-sanders-black-lives-matter). There seems to be little point in trying to get the message out that black lives matter at a Republican rally. It’s much more effective to go to a candidate who may actually care a little about this and tell him in no uncertain terms that he doesn’t care enough. This is the Civil Rights Movement Part II, and our leaders should want to get in on the side that promotes human rights—full stop. [Some argue](http://www.politicususa.com/2015/08/10/real-black-lives-matter-wsnts-activists-publicly-apologize-bernie-sanders.html) that black people need to find a way to combat these issues within the current system, and that people would be more inclined to listen [if protesters were more polite](http://seattleglobalist.com/2015/08/09/bernie-sanders-black-lives-matter-race-divide-in-seattle/40394). That’s wrong. You cannot look at a group of people living in fear and dying in droves and tell them they are protesting incorrectly. It’s easy to sit back and critique the method when it isn’t your life on the line. But if someone were being choked, the last thing they would need is a passerby saying, “I’d love to help you out. But could you at least say “please?” Convince me why I should save your life, and do it politely.” White people have the time and the luxury to wait for the system we created to work in our favor. Black people do not, and that has been made clear in the last few months. If a million microphones have to be torn from a million rich, white politicians in a rude fashion to get that message heard, then I support that 100%. What the Sanders’s campaign should have done in the wake of these protests is not devise a plan to drown out the message. Sanders should have given the microphone willingly to “Black Lives Matter” protestors without a script and without pushing forward his own political agenda. That would have shown he got the message. ## Transcript [ APPLAUSE ] We can do it when we stand up and say enough is enough The billionaires are not gonna have it all, it's our country, let's create that nation. Thank you all very much. [ APPLAUSE ] [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3996001/bernie-sanders-black-lives-matter/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3996001/bernie-sanders-black-lives-matter/"},"headline":"Bernie Sanders Is Wrong To Ignore 'Black Lives Matter'","datePublished":"2015-08-13T19:55:36.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:58:11.324Z","description":"He should pass the microphone willingly over to those who most need to be heard","url":"https://time.com/3996001/bernie-sanders-black-lives-matter/","keywords":["Race"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltca3fad61e1ed3ee1/69885f1ee53aba5d1e4df105/bernie.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Darlena Cunha","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/darlena-cunha/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltca3fad61e1ed3ee1/69885f1ee53aba5d1e4df105/bernie.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders gestures as he speaks during a campaign event at the LA Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles on Aug. 10, 2015.","caption":"U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders gestures as he speaks during a campaign event at the LA Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles on Aug. 10, 2015.","creditText":"Bloomberg via Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/race/","name":"Race"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3996001/bernie-sanders-black-lives-matter/","name":"Bernie Sanders Is Wrong To Ignore 'Black Lives Matter'"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Watch: Bernie Sanders Campaign Rally In Arizona","description":"Watch: Bernie Sanders Campaign Rally In Arizona","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/OjiQqUvD/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-07-19T17:59:25.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/OjiQqUvD.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3996001/bernie-sanders-black-lives-matter/","duration":"PT44S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3996001/bernie-sanders-black-lives-matter/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```