Over 100 African-American artists have signed an open letter urging Joe Biden to select a Black woman for his presidential running mate, including Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.

The letter, first published in the Atlanta Daily World, comes just as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a white woman, flew over the weekend to meet with Biden to discuss the vice presidency. Whitmer is more favourable for a swing state politician whereas Senator Elizabeth Warren is a woman who is “more ideologically liberal candidate,” as reported in the Washington Times.

The stakes are high to select a woman of colour candidate, as the signatories also include rappers Timbaland, Charlamagne tha God, Ty Dolla $ign and E-40, among others.

Together the men write, “As someone who has said throughout the campaign that VP Joe Biden needs to choose a Black woman VP, the urgency for that pick has gone from something that SHOULD happen to something that HAS to happen.”

They also criticise Biden’s vetting process for women of colour.

“It disgusts us that Black women are not just being vetted in this VP process but unfairly criticized and scrutinized.”

Check out Diddy’s Instagram endorsement for Nina Turner, former State Senator for Ohio:

Turner was formerly a national co-chair of the Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign, and at one time was running against Biden.  Biden facing pressure to select a woman of colour VP is already threatening the unity of his party, as well as one Kanye West who admits that his presidential campaign is aimed to hurt the Democrats.

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Diddy, Ty Dolla Sign and co. then close the letter below.

“Failing to select a Black woman in 2020 means you will lose the election. We don’t want to choose between the lesser of two evils and we don’t want to vote the devil we know versus the devil we don’t because we are tired of voting for devils—period.”

Check out Diddy chatting to Naomi Campbell previously about the importance of Biden not taking the vote for granted:

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