Marking the second half of a Democratic debate, 10 opposition presidential candidates squared off on Thursday, with the race's front-runner, former Vice President Joe Biden, drawing strong criticism.

US Senator Kamala Harris, the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, demanded that Biden explain recent comments in which he described working with segregationists to pass legislation.

Read more:  Anti-racism song 'This is America' declared best at Grammys

"I do not believe you are a racist, and I agree with you when you commit yourself to the importance of finding common ground," said Harris.

"But I also believe — and it's personal — it was hurtful to hear you talk about the reputations of two United States senators who built their reputations and career on the segregation of race in this country."

'Praise racists'

But Biden hit back, defending his record on civil rights.

"It's a mischaracterization of my position across the board: I did not praise racists. That is not true," Biden said. "If we want to have this campaign litigated on who supports civil rights and whether I did or not, I'm happy to do that."

Last week, Biden told a New York City fundraiser that the next president needed "to be able to reach consensus under our system," adding that he was the only one who could unite a polarized US.

"I was in a caucus with James O. Eastland," Biden said, referring to a former US senator from Mississippi dubbed the "Voice of the White South" for resisting racial integration during the civil rights era. "He never called me 'boy,' he always called me 'son.'"

The comments were widely criticized by members of the Democratic Party. Biden was vice president to the first black US president, Barack Obama.

Ten other Democratic candidates debated on Wednesday, with more than 20 vying for the Democratic presidential nomination. The candidate to face off against President Donald Trump will not be decided until July next year, following state primaries and caucuses.  

Every evening, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.

ls/rc (AFP, Reuters)