Buttigieg plans meeting with civil rights activist Sharpton

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is stepping up his outreach to African Americans by meeting with a leading civil rights activist, the Rev. Al Sharpton.

The mayor of South Bend, Indiana, plans to have lunch Monday with the founder of the National Action Network at the famed Sylvia’s Restaurant in Harlem.

The large group of Democratic presidential candidates includes a record number of women and minorities, and white candidates are discussing racism and white privilege as they work to connect with voters of color.

Buttigieg has said that “any white candidate needs to show a level of consciousness around issues like white privilege.”

He plans to focus on black voters during a visit to South Carolina next month that includes a stop at a historically black university.