That's why black Democrats in Massachusetts voted for Ed Brooke, a Republican who became the first black man in the U.S. Senate. Some contend that Fong is not the moderate that Brooke was. Indeed more Democrats are moving to the center, and Fong has never held a national platform for his views. It remains to be seen where he would come down. But as the first black woman in the U.S. Senate she chipped away at the wall.
Affirmative action remains a hot button issue in black communities.
Frankly, I don't know. But because he is already a high achiever, he is a defender of affirmative action whether he wants to be or not. When a person of color breaks a barrier, that is affirmative action of the highest order. There are exceptions to every rule. Yet we tend to rule out the exceptions when it comes to political parties.