‘I know Joe’s heart’: Why black voters are backing Joe Biden

ERRIN HAINES AP National Writer After Kamala Harris challenged Joe Biden's past opposition to school busing in a nationally televised Democratic presidential debate, the former vice president who prides himself on strong relationships in the black community was in an unfamiliar place, playing defense on race. But Bebe Coker had a message for the man she's known for decades: don't back down. The 81-year-old education activist remembered the history differently than Harris' portrayal, recalling black parents encouraging Biden to reject forcing black students to attend white schools. "I told him not to back down off of that," Coker, who is black, said in an interview. "I know Joe's heart. I guess that's why I'm rather defensive of him. Joe has always been straight-up Joe. But when things
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