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The 2020 presidential election will feature the most diverse group of voters in American history.
That’s why VICE News is proud to partner with multicultural agency Cashmere Originals to present the 2020 Iowa Brown & Black Forum, the nation’s oldest and only nonpartisan presidential forum dedicated exclusively to addressing issues facing communities of color.
“VICE News Presents: The 2020 Iowa Brown & Black Democratic Presidential Forum” will be broadcast live January 20 across VICE platforms including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and VICE.com. VICE TV will broadcast the day’s events in a news special at 9 p.m. ET/PT, featuring the best moments of the forum and highlights from the candidates.
Coinciding with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the forum will take place on Jan. 20, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. CT, at Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines. It will give the 2020 presidential candidates the opportunity to address an electorate that will be one-third non-white for the first time, according to Pew Research Center.
The forum will be one of the last opportunities for the candidates to make their case before Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucus on Feb. 4.
“At VICE News, we are committed to telling stories that reflect all of America and strive to lead the conversation around issues affecting minority communities,” says Jesse Angelo, President, Global News and Entertainment, VICE Media Group. “The Brown & Black Forum has spent over three decades holding politicians accountable on these issues, and we’re proud that our diverse team of award-winning correspondents will be continuing that legacy.”
The forum will feature in-depth interviews with leading Democratic candidates for president, including Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, former Vice President Joe Biden, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, former Maryland congressman John Delaney, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Vermont Sen, Bernie Sanders, Massachusetts Sen, Elizabeth Warren, and businessman Andrew Yang.
All of the candidates will have an opportunity to address questions and issues of concern, with the forum focusing on five topics: criminal justice, immigration, education, economic development, and health.
The forum will be moderated by VICE News’ award-winning team of correspondents, including: Antonia Hylton, Alzo Slade, Paola Ramos, Dexter Thomas, David Noriega, and Krishna Andavolu. Additional questions posed to candidates will be sourced from VICE News’ social audience and a live audience comprised of Iowa constituents.
Cover: 11 Democratic presidential candidates are scheduled to appear at the Brown & Black Presidential Forum in Des Moines, Iowa on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Jan. 20, 2020.