NEW YORK (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg (BOO'-tuh-juhj) is making a new, concerted effort to appeal to African American voters and put behind him criticism of his record on race.
His main strategy is to talk less and listen more.
The approach is aimed at addressing one of the biggest questions about Buttigieg's upstart campaign: Can the 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana, win over black voters who are key to a Democratic victory in 2020.
He had lunch Monday at Sylvia's Restaurant in Harlem with the Rev. Al Sharpton, the civil rights leader. On Sunday and Monday he'll be in South Carolina, where he'll meet with African American leaders and participate in a round-table discussion at a historically black university.
Buttigieg says: "I know I've got a lot to learn."