Buttigieg discusses his plan to tackle racism

Pete Buttigieg has a message for white liberals who decry racism: “Good intentions are not going to be enough.”

The Democratic presidential candidate and South Bend, Ind., mayor is combating perceptions that he’s out of touch with black people and will struggle to win their votes. On Thursday, he unveiled his most detailed proposals yet, which he says are aimed at addressing the systemic racism that affects the black community.

“White Democratic voters want to do the right thing but maybe haven’t fully thought about what that means or what that requires of us,” Buttigieg said. “The reality is America as a whole is worse off when these inequities exist.”

Buttigieg, 37, was virtually unknown in national politics when he launched his campaign but has gained ground with a compelling narrative as a young, gay military veteran offering generational change in the White House. He raised $24.8 million during the second quarter, a stunning sum that topped other leading Democrats.

But his rise has coincided with questions about his handling of race in South Bend. He was criticized for firing the city’s first black police chief early in his career and has admitted he hasn’t done enough to improve the lives of black residents .

Buttigieg left the campaign trail last month after a white police officer fatally shot a black man the officer said was armed with a knife. Some South Bend residents criticized him for being more focused on his presidential prospects than developments back home.

The mayor has dubbed his proposals to combat racism the Douglass Plan. It’s named for black abolitionist Frederick Douglass and modeled after the Marshall Plan, which helped Europe recover after World WarII.

The plan addresses disparities in health, education, wealth, criminal...