DETROIT, March 5: Joe Biden’s presidential campaign spent the past month on the verge of collapse after disappointing finishes in the overwhelmingly white states that launched the Democratic primary. As he watched the turmoil unfold from Gadsden, Alabama, Robert Avery thought the race would change dramatically when it moved into the South.

COLUMBIA, S.C., March 2: Bernie Sanders’ presidential ambitions were undone in 2016 when he couldn’t line up enough support from black voters to win the Democratic nomination. As he tries again in 2020, results from South Carolina suggest he’s still struggling to appeal to the voters who make up the backbone of the Democratic Party.