California Rep. Maxine Waters says Biden 'can't go home' without choosing a Black woman as his running mate

• California congresswoman Maxine Waters said in a live interview with ESSENCE that former Vice President Joe Biden must choose a Black woman for his running mate.
• "He can't go home without a Black woman being VP," said Waters in the interview.
• Meanwhile, with the Democratic National Convention less than 10 days away, Biden is expected to announce his pick for vice president anytime soon.

California congresswoman Maxine Waters said Joe Biden will have to choose a Black woman as his running mate to win the election.

In a live interview with ESSENCE on Friday, Waters said Biden "can't go home without a Black woman being VP."

Citing "the help that [Biden] has already gotten from the Black community," Democratic Rep. Waters told ESSENCE "we're going to have a Black woman VP."

Since Biden committed to picking a woman as vice president in a CNN Democratic presidential debate in March, several Black women have been floated as frontrunners.

In the wake of a national reckoning over race and racism in America, a number of civil rights advocates have similarly urged Biden to select a woman of color as his running mate — including Rep. John Lewis, who died last month.

In July, Biden said four Black women are among those in consideration, though he did not commit to picking one. Sen. Kamala Harris, and Rep. Karen Bass, former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice, and former Georgia state Rep. Stacey Abrams are among those rumored to be on Biden's shortlist.

Biden is expected to announce his running mate shortly. The Democratic National Convention is set for August 17 to 20, which is the latest date Biden will have to reveal his pick.

Biden recently said he will not be traveling to Milwaukee to officially accept his Democratic presidential nomination due to concerns over traveling in the coronavirus pandemic.

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