2020 Democrats discuss race in often stark terms during the first Detroit primary debate

Lucas Jackson/Reuters

Sen. Bernie Sanders during the first round of the second 2020 Democratic debate in Detroit, Michigan.

• The 2020 Democrats running for president discussed race in strong and often stark terms at Tuesday's debate, reflecting the central role its taking in the primary ahead of next year's race.
• Author Marianne Williamson said that the water crisis in Flint was the "tip of the iceberg" and said that the city where she lives would never have experienced a public health emergency of that scale.
• Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke brought up the legacy of slavery, saying that the US only reached this point of relative prosperity on the labor of black Americans.
• Other candidates like Sen. Amy Klobuchar said she would try to Trump appeal voters who may have been motivated by economic anxieties rather than racism.
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The 2020 Democrats running for president discussed race in strong and often stark terms at Tuesday's debate, reflecting the central role it is taking in the primary ahead of next year's election.

Author Marianne Williamson said that the water crisis in Flint was the "tip of the iceberg" and said that the city where she lives would never have experienced a public health emergency of that scale.

"We have communities, particularly communities of color and disadvantaged communities, all over this country who are suffering from environmental injustice," Williamson said.

She went on: "If you think any of this wonkiness is going to deal with this dark psychic force of the collectivized hatred that this president is bringing up in this country, then I'm afraid that the Democrats are going to see some very dark days."

Read more: A fight among candidates on the debate stage revealed Democrats are more divided on immigration than it might seem

Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke brought up the legacy of slavery, saying that the US only reached this point of relative prosperity because black Americans were enslaved. Earlier this month, he acknowledged that his ancestors owned slaves; O'Rourke supports a reparations bill.

"I want to acknowledge something that we're all touching on which is the very foundation of this country, the wealth that we have built, the way we became the greatest country on the face of the planet was literally on the backs of those who were kidnapped and brought here by force," O'Rourke said.

Other candidates like Sen. Amy Klobuchar said she would try to appeal to Trump voters who may have been motivated by economic anxieties rather than racism.

"There are people that voted for Donald Trump before that aren't racist, they wanted a better shake in the economy and so I would appeal to them," Klobuchar said. "But I don't think anyone can justify what this president is doing."