As he seeks to win the White House for the Democrats, the party that is the political home of most black Americans, Mr. Biden has attempted to strike this balance.
“We are a nation exhausted, but we will not allow our exhaustion to defeat us.”
“The very soul of America is at stake,” he said, tying the tension between the police and black communities to removing President Trump from the White House.
The moment may still test Mr. Biden’s priorities, as a weary black electorate desires far greater change than the promise of a return to normalcy that has fueled his campaign.
Energizing those voters, activists and elected leaders say, means addressing their demands for change and the realities of racism.
