Buttigieg: Racial inequity ‘may be the thing that unravels the American project’

Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., and a 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful, said racial inequality could “be the thing that unravels the American project” in the wake of a fatal police shooting in his home city.

“I really believe that if we don’t conquer racial inequity in my lifetime, it may be the thing that unravels the American project in my lifetime,” Buttigieg told The Atlantic in an interview published Monday.

{mosads}The Atlantic reported that Buttigieg has been trying to balance presidential campaign fundraisers and rallies with an emergency in South Bend and the anger some residents have directed at him in the aftermath of the shooting.

“This is a reminder that things come at you that you can’t always fully prepare for and can’t anticipate,” Buttigieg told The Atlantic. “And you need to be ready for that, especially as you’re competing for the toughest job in the world.”

On June 16, South Bend police responded to a suspicious persons call at a local apartment complex. The suspect, Eric Logan, 54, reportedly approached an officer with a knife and was shot. The officer Logan allegedly approached was wearing a body camera, but it was not on.

The killing has ignited controversy in the Midwest town, and Buttigieg left the presidential trail to respond.

He was confronted by approximately 150 protesters Friday over the shooting, and he held a town hall Sunday to listen to community concerns. In a Monday statement, Buttigieg said he felt he had “not done enough” to address racial inequality.

“I get why people are not satisfied. I’m not either. This is why as mayors we have the opportunity to change the national conversation,” Buttigieg said in the statement. 

A lawyer for Logan’s family said Friday there has been an “acceptance” of misconduct by police officers. 

The mayor told The Atlantic the shooting has had an impact “on our campaign, on me personally, and, most importantly of all, on my community.”

The military veteran and Rhodes scholar had already faced some controversies centered on race over his handling of the firing of South Bend’s black former police chief and his decision not to publicly release five tapes critics say could include racist language used by police officers.

Buttigieg is slated to share the Democratic debate stage with former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), two of the party’s top hopefuls, on Thursday on the second of two nights of debates.