Joe Biden's Corn Pop Story

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Ira Madison II @ira Joe Biden, post up Neloy POPS

Daniel Dale @ddale8 story he has told about Wilmington, Delaware pool partly because of the Biden is facing skepticism for a a 1960s confrontation at a with a guy named Corn Pop Pop name Corn Рор. Here's an obituary for Wilmington's William L. "CornPop" Morris, who died at 73 in 2016. (Thread) ww.ay caua men, aruy manageu 10 a usn zwpm Teemor ip Meet. After graduat tended school in pursait of al and funeral services will gfrom high sehool, she a nursing degree Ardy re commence at 100 p.m, and tended Barbara Scotia celved her LPN and was in the Hope farsily will have a llege and the University the process of completing reception at the Chase Cen Pittsburg where she ran her KN. Along the way, Ardy ter inmediately following ack. Ardy returned home had two more daughters, the servicengRALHOME Wilmington to raise her Alexis and Andavia. Andy ughter Aryelle enior Firefghter Ardythe ters knew they were loved 1000 at the funeral hose, Burial service will immedi ately follea at Gracelawn Memorial Park ELIZABETH C.TAYLOR AGE:95-WlLMINGTON, DEL For online condolences please visit beesonfaneralhome.com 302-153-1500 She was preceded in death by her irst husband James A. O'Neill (Rube), second hasband Roy Taytor, daugh- ter Kathleen Taylor, and niece Carel Jenet, She is survived by her daaghter Patricia ONeil, Rrother Buddy Carney and his wife Edie, Sisters: Kitty Dur an Anne Marie Donoan Pesgy Sharp and her hus- band Steve all of Wamn ton: her Grandchildren Cari Flowers Janes Sheehan, Michael Shechan. Broge King, Courtney slackdond Elizabeth C. Taylor (Betty), and i Great-grandehildren ape , of Wilington, DE A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, De- at the Rroadmeadow Nurs- cember 9.2 2um at Saint Jaseph's on the Betty artended St. Antho Brandywine Church, Od ny's Church St. Thomas Church Rd, Wilmington, DE CONGO FU congofaneralhone.com 302652 8887 made sure that her daugh- JOAN ELIZABETH HOMAN AGE: -WILMINGTON, DELAWARE na Caltural Arts Center and on the Beard of Directors at Sanford Preparatory School She participated in the Green &White Club" for in er city kids in the I960s Joan is survived by her aephew Rubert Willia (Ballh Permar and his wsfe Janet and their children Deanna and Anjie and grandrhildren Adam Jacob Jared. Boanie. Sean. Reilly and Molly, daghter tn-law Liz and sos-in-law Greg Rich and Joel her nephew Thomas (Tom) Andrew Per- loan Elizaheth Homan, mar, his wife Carol and their 80, of Wilnington, DE. children Jessie and Mat- died on November 30. 2016 ing Hoae in Middletown. JAMES W.YANCY The Family of James W School and Wilmington i0, laterment will fallow Yancy (Coach Yancy of High Sehool. She worked for in Cathedral Cemetery, In Christiana & Brandywine WILLIAM I. MORRIS (CORNPOP AG:73 William L. Morris passedoperater Sheenjoyed faushye of owes, donaions Hgh School) wishes to in on Dec. 2 206 Horse gdery, nending her san Bell Telephone and ICI as an lie tioned from this lide to his heavenly hoene on Saturday December 3rd 3016 A viewing will be held from 9-11am, and the hame go- jng celebration in his honor will be held at 1lam Satur- day December 10th at Mt Mortah Apostolic Charch, 88 Paschall Ave Philadel- phia PA 19142 Interment at issed away on December 7, thew a phew James away with family by his shde & friends ceraes, ecnbro ybe made to the lbcal form you thar he tran ind Preparaeory School visit trom 600 to t0e y ing services will be held at She lovnd the beach For online condolences the Spring of 16 She Monday December c Mother UAME Church 7l E mers in Broadkill Beach. DE s on a scholarship for at the CHANDLER FUNER. reet on Saturda Decand winters in Boca Ralon, 3477 alome.com 16 at St. Francis Hospital loan graduated from San- Bradford (Brad) Permar Friends and family please visit chandlerfun 12, 3016 th 00 0th. Viewing will be frem FL ld hocley, and she was AL HOME, 2506 Coneord -12pm and services follow e class "gavel girt in her Pike. nior year She attended inton Faneral ing Arrangmeats provided asses in Munich and Pan sill be held ar 1e by Bell Funeral Home www. hin 154 and 195 Joan on Tuesday December bellh.com. ned her BS in Education pal Church, Highlands, 30 1s9 from the University W. 17th Street, Wilminglon. elaware and her Mas Rlal will frlla the e serv NICHOLAS M. VALIANTE, JR AGE: FENWICK ISLAND 13 at the Immanuel Bpisoo- became Chief of Police for Washington Crossing Na- New Castle Ceanty and later tional Cemetery, 830 High- nina of hlin Cof land Rnad. Newlown PA 5:08 PM- Sep 15, 2019 Twitter Web Client

BlackAzizl laNANsi @Freeyourmindkid Corn Pop and the boys waiting for Joe Biden outside of the pool. 3:26 PM Sep 15, 2019 Twitter for Android

beth is tired @bourgeoisalien GET OUT OF THE DARN POOL, CORN POP! CUT THE MALARKEY! 2:50 PM Sep 15, 2019 Twitter for Android

Jess Dweck @TheDweck Corn Pop? More like Cornea Pop, idk guys just vote for Warren please 1:45 AM Sep 16, 2019 Twitter for iPhone

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About

Joe Biden's Corn Pop Story refers to a story former Vice President Joe Biden has recounted several times about a time he had an altercation with a gang member named Corn Pop while life guarding at a Wilmington, Delaware pool during the Summer of 1962. The story regained interest in September 2019 when one Root writer claimed in a Twitter thread that the story was fabricated and sensationalized.

Origin

In 2008, Joe Biden recounted a story in his autobiography Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics in which he spent the Summer of 1962 life guarding at a predominantly black swimming pool, the Brown-Burton-Winchester Park in Wilmington Delaware. He retold the story in 2017 during a ceremony in which they renamed the pool after him (shown below). Biden recalled the time when he had an altercation with the Romans gang leader named Corn Pop at the pool after calling him Ester Williams (a famous female swimmer at the time) for jumping repeatedly up and down on the diving board. Biden met Corn Pop in the parking lot later prepped with a long chain and apologized to him. They then became friends.^[1]

Spread

On September 14th, 2019, Root writer Michael Harriot^[2] tweeted, "I'm always astounded by the imaginings of white people as it relates to race. Many of them have this fictionalized jigaboo version that is almost alien-like. And one of the greatest examples of this ever is Joe Biden's story about Corn Pop the gangsta." The tweet gained over 15,800 likes and 5,100 retweets in two days (shown below, left). He went on in a thread detailing Biden's story and how he believes that it was sensationalized and false. In one tweet he shares a picture of a census listing in that area saying that "in 1960, Wilmington was 73% white, according to census records" (shown below, right). The tweet garnered over 4,100 likes in two days. Many Twitter users agreed in thinking that Biden's story seem ridiculous and false.

michaelharriot @michaelharriot Thread: I'm always astounded by the imaginings of white people as it relates to race. Many of them have this fictionalized j------ version that is almost alien- like. And one of the greatest examples of this ever is Joe Biden's story about Corn Pop the gangsta 12:08 PM Sep 14, 2019 Twitter Web App

michaelharriot @michaelharriot Biden says that he became popular at the pool because many of the black people in Wilmington, DE had never talked to a white person before. This raised by b--------o-meter, so I decided to look it up. In 1960, Wilmington was 73% white, according to census records Census Tracts Table P-1-GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POPUI (Asterisk () denotes statistics based on 25-percent sample. Population per household not shown where less NEW CASTLE COUNTY DEL TOTAL SMSA SUBJECT WIL- MINGTON BALANCE TOTAL RACE AND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN 95 B27 70 752 24 922 153 211 619 200 273 11 117 229 TOTAL POPULATION WHITE N---- OTHER RACES 307 446 271 025 36 039 382 366 157 320 810 44 851 496 12:08 PM Sep 14, 2019 Twitter Web App

The next day, Twitter user @newsbysamuels^[3] tweeted a thread in which he defends Biden's story by saying, "Yes, Corn Pop was a real. Lots of people I spoke with knew him and talked about him, even if they had never met Joe Biden" (shown below). His initial tweet only gather 200 retweets and 400 likes in a day. He goes on to explain the story and its context in the thread:

It is a wrong to compare “gangs” in 1962 to stereotypes of gangs today. They weren’t murderous, drug dealing bangers. They were groups of young kids who gave their cliques, their neighborhoods and themselves nicknames and fought. Corn Pop was a part of a gang named the Romans[…]Also, yes, Wilmington was highly segregated in 1962 and many of the black people who I spoke with did in fact say Joe Biden was the first white person they knew who really listened to them and had a heart for them.

Robert Samuels @newsbysamuels Yes, Corn Pop was a real. Lots of people I spoke with knew him and talked about him, even if they had never met Joe Biden. 11:12 PM Sep 15, 2019 Twitter Web App

Identity

On September 15th, 2019, Twitter user @ddale8^[4] tweeted a picture of William L. "Corn Pop" Morris' 2016 obituary (shown below). The tweet garnered over 7,200 like and 2,900 retweets in a day.

The next day, Heavy^[5] reintroduced footage from the rest of 2017 renaming ceremony at the Wilmington Delaware pool in which others reinforce Biden's claims (shown below).