The Democratic debate on Jan. 14 was hard to take in. Six presidential candidates had the chance to speak with the American public. It was an effort to make a last impression with voters and mobilize them before the Iowa caucus. But as a person of color, I could not focus on their platforms or policies. Instead, I was distracted by the reality that this was what had become of the 2020 election. The stage looked identical to the pre-Obama era—every single person at the podium was white. 

When the race for the Democratic nomination started, it was hailed as being the most diverse group of candidates the country had ever seen. It was a platform that boasted African American, Asian and Latinx representation with candidates like Kamala Harris, Julián Castro and Andrew Yang. Donald Trump’s presidency has been overtly racist in both words and actions, and it stirred a record number of people of color to challenge the beliefs and values his version of America holds. 

It was hallmarked as indicative of how diverse America is becoming. By 2045, it is predicted that the U.S. population will become “minority white.” The number of POC will have risen by 74 percent by 2060. Voters like myself had hope that our political sphere was beginning to reflect that. 

As the race has progressed and the number of candidates has dwindled, though, it’s become clear that these aspirations have been held in vain. The debate on Tuesday night was representative of that truth. The chances of another person of color winning the nomination stand little to none. 

“I don’t know who won this debate, but people of color definitely lost.” Elie Mystal, justice correspondent for The Nation, tweeted afterward. 

There are three candidates left running who come from racial minority groups—Yang, Tulsi Gabbard and Deval Patrick. Those of the likes of Harris, Castro and most recently Cory Booker, who were perceived as the strongest prospects for getting a POC in the White House again, have already dropped out. Yang, who was the sole POC at the last debate in December, came the closest to earning his spot on the stage last week. He reached the grassroots donor threshold but was unable to pull in the polling numbers needed at early nominating states. 

“What happened last night reflected the inequities and realities in our economy,” Yang said on The Late Late Show with Stephen Colbert. “We should be concerned with changing those realities on the ground. If we did that, the stage would look very, very different.” 

To their credit, candidates such as Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg made an effort to include black and Latinx families in their discussion of issues pertaining to the economy and education system. But on social media, users were still privy to how the candidates’ platforms were significantly less focused on systematic racism than those of the candidates of color had been. #DebateSoWhite trended on Twitter. 

The coverage of this event concluded that the cause for the whitening of the Democratic Party had to do with individual voter preferences and motivations. A study conducted by the Washington Post and Ipsos found that above all, 79 percent of African Americans are seeking a Democratic candidate they believe can defeat Trump. For this reason, 48 percent of blacks support Joe Biden, and 20 percent support Bernie Sanders.

We have to ask: what does it mean when POC are provided with a group of candidates more diverse than we have ever seen before, and the overwhelming consensus still remains that a white person is best suited for the job? 

Democratic voters have lost faith in restoring the America that once elected Obama. At this time in U.S. politics, the task of electing a POC seems too great in the face of a country that has enabled a leader built out of racist ideologies. Voters from minority groups are being forced to accept invisibility and lack of representation to avoid instigating attacks from Trump and his base that will hurt the Democratic Party’s bid. It is a sacrifice they should not have to make, but will regardless. 

Try as they might, none of the candidates present at the debate have proved they genuinely understand the interests of POC. Warren used to claim she was Native American, despite having no connections to it in her ancestry or culture. Buttigieg used to throw around the phrase #AllLivesMatter, a phrase that trivializes and minimizes #BlackLivesMatter. Biden once vehemently opposed desegregation busing. All of them have a history of putting forth words or actions that have insensitively hurt marginalized communities. 

Intersectionality is pervasive in all politics, whether it be healthcare or education or immigration. A failure to understand this reinforces the fear that the voters of color are being taken for granted and used as a tool to weaponize against other candidates. Looking at the America that put Trump in his position without the context of race inadvertently legitimizes his toxic beliefs. 

Regardless of his politics, Patrick—the Democratic Party’s last remaining black candidate—was correct when he said this: “America cannot win without fully or fairly addressing the unfinished business of race.”