Sanders Campaign Press Release - Bernie 2020 Announces Phillip Agnew as Senior Advisor

WASHINGTON – Sen. Bernie Sanders' Presidential campaign on Saturday announced that organizer and artist Phillip Agnew will serve as a Senior Advisor to the campaign. He previously served the campaign as National Surrogate.

"I am excited to welcome Phillip to our team," Sanders said. "He is a gifted organizer and one of his generation's most critical voices on issues of race and inequity. He has and will continue to push me and this movement to deliver on what is owed to Black people who have yet to experience reciprocity in this country."

"Black people - all Black people - are a central part of our movement. Our platform is about righting what is wrong in this country," Agnew said. "Our campaign is inclusive of Black people across age, class, and gender lines. We've come a long way and more work to do. I'm excited to continue to grow and amplify the work of our Black organizing department."

Agnew co-founded the Dream Defenders following the murder of Trayvon Martin and has been dubbed "one of this generation's leading voices." He has been recognized by EBONY and The Root as one of the 100 most influential African Americans. Phillip first emerged as a national activist when he organized students from FAMU, Florida State University and Tallahassee Community College in the creation of the Student Coalition for Justice in response to the Martin Lee Anderson case. His community organizing and art have been highlighted on MSNBC, BET, PBS, the Huffington Post, USA Today, the Guardian, Democracy Now, ESSENCE, TruthOut and Time Magazine.

The platform put forth by Bernie 2020 addresses the stark inequalities in this country that disproportionately impact Black Americans. From proposals like Medicare for All, Fair Banking for All, and canceling student debt, Black people often bear the heaviest financial burdens that would be relieved with these policies. Bernie's unwavering commitment to Justice and Safety for All will mean an administration dedicated to righting the wrongs of institutional racism and ending the so-called "War on Drugs". Instead of spending $80 billion a year on jails and incarceration, we will invest in jobs and education.