this is "nightline." tonight, southern showdown. grace and the presidential race. >> i intend to win south carolina, and i will win the african-american vote here in south carolina. >> on the debate stage, and on the ground. biden and billionaires, battling for a rebound. >> this says a lot that at this point we have a lot more billionaires on the stage than we have people of color on the strategy. >> plus, silence breakers. >> convicted rapist is right there. >> after the landmark verdict, the vindication from speaking truth to power.

>> weinstein is a convicted rapist. what goes through your mind? >> that's what he is. a rapist. >> but first the neat line five. numbe

good evening. thank you for joining us. trailing in the polls and throwing jabs on the debate stage, the democratic

presidential candidates hoping to take up front runner status. now the primary in south carolina. trying to win over black voters. south carolina, spanish moss sw swings low. we're here on the ground days before south carolina's primary, riding through the state by bus, meeting voters on the picket lines and pews and challenging the candidates. >> because you are mayor of south bend, indiana you don't get people of color. >> that process of earning trust can take time. >> reporter: this saturday's primary, the last before super tuesday is a test for these hopefuls. >> hello, hello, hello. >> reporter: the first time america will see how they connect with black voters. african-americans make up two-thirds of the electorate here. >> they're essential. >> reporter: at tonight's debate, the fight for the democratic nomination couldn't be more fiery.

>> i'm not over time. you spoke over time and i'm going to talk. >> reporter: tonight, bernie sanders is the front runner taking in incoming. >> i think would make a better president than bernie. >> i do not think this is the best person to lead the ticket. >> vladimir putin thinks donald trump should be president of the united states, and that's why russia is helping you get elected. >> i'm hearing my name mentioned a little bit tonight. i wonder why. >> reporter: for some people, tonight's debate was a reminder, this process is not perfect. >> i'm conscious of the fact that there's seven peopwhite pe on this stage. >> when this process started more than a year ago, 20 candidates, diverse, african-american, women, latino. >> this party has got to reevaluate the time, the calendar, because if south carolina had gone first, every one of those people would still be in the race.

>> says a lot that at this point we've got more billionaires on the stage than we have people of color on the stage. >> reporter: cliff albright is the co-sfoufounders of black vo matter. going on bus tours all across the south. now they're here in south carolina. >> we're kicking off our tour here in charleston, ready to hit communities, to help people get prepared for the upcoming primaries. >> reporter: we travel with them to "low country". towns like bluffton. a local group is hosting a strategy session. >> people lost their lives to vote. >> i'm not here to geoff you any answers to your problems. because you already have them. >> i know black folk aren't a monolith. it's important to create those

relationships ms. >> reporter: the next day they're up the coast, hosting an event. cliff says their campaign is about empowerment and encouraging voters to look critically at the candidates. >> we're basing our preference on who we think white folks would vote for. we're fearful of what could happen if we pick the wrong person and we're not able to beat donald trump. >> reporter: he's critical of mike bloomberg, joe biden and pete buttigieg who he says demonstrate they truly care about communities of color. >> if you don't have a track record on these issues we can't take you ♪ >> reporter: on sunday morning at the first baptist church on james island, pete buttigieg is here trying to connect with an audience he has struggled with. >> it is especially humbling, in the middle of black history month to think about what it means to stand before

african-american voters and ask them for their vote. >> reporter: as mayor of south bend, indiana, buttigieg has been criticized for his handling of a police shooting involving a black man and for policies that demolished housing in largely african-american neighborhoods. his support from voters here is in single digits. but janiesha hart's mind might be changes. >> i definitely loved what he had to say. he's the opposite of what we have in washington now. i think he got my vote today. >> reporter: buttigieg was the church's guest today. but he hosted his own event. but look closely at the audience. >> i've been a professional journalist longer than you've been alive. i've never been to a political event at a black church where the majority of the audience was white. how do you explain that? >> at the last event we were at -- >> reporter: in this church. >> i thought you were talking

about the church we were at yesterday. >> reporter: no, this one here. >> i don't know the full makeup of the crowd, but we taking every opportunity to reach everybody we can. >> reporter: but it was, because it fits the narrative that here's a candidate who fair or unfair seems to have a problem attracting minority voters. >> again, i'm going to welcome anybody who's ready to hear our message and we will continue reaching out to everybody who has so much at stake. >> reporter: billionaire tom steyer has been pouring over $20 million into tv and social media a ads targeted at south carolinians. some polls show him in third place. >> you're a white billionaire from new york, educated in part in california. what makes you the person to represent a diverse state, a diverse nation? >> i have been working for racial, economic and social justice for decades. i started a non-profit community bank over a billion dollars.

i started it 1 5 years ago. >> reporter: at the black voters matter block party, styer's name was in the air. >> i like tom steyer. climate control would be his first option, first big thing to do, you know? support thousands of jobs, thousands of green jobs, so i kind of like him right now, you know? >> reporter: the front runner heading into saturday's primary, bernie sanders, still dealing with the fallout of his "60 minutes" interview. >> when fidel castro came into office, he had a massive literacy program. >> reporter: buttigieg slamming him for it tonight. >> i'm not looking forward to a scenario when it comes to donald trump with his social order of the 1950s and bernie sanders with his strategy for the 1960s.

>> when i heard that i shivered. that reinforced the fear that south carolinians have about the so-called democratic socialism. >> reporter: the potential problem that someone like bernie sanders might present if a democratic socialist is at the top of the ticket it makes business hard for you in south carolina. >> it does throughout the south. the fact of the matter is we have to understand that we have to make breakthroughs in the south if we are going to maintain our position as the majority party in the house of representatives. >> reporter: and a campaign event for vice president joe biden. hesitation about sanders, a voter who's leaning toward elizabeth warren. >> he can do no wrong, i feel like i'm in a mentality that got trump to office. >> joe biden stands for a lot of right things. >> reporter: going into the primary season, political

punditry predicted south carolina would be biden's for the taking. >> i worked like the devil to earn the vote of the african-american community. >> reporter: cliff albright says otherwise. >> just being in proximity to president obama for eight years hasn't changed some of his views on some of the policies that were problematic before 2008. and if you ask black folks we know that. ask them what policy that they're really excited about, and you'll hear crickets. because we know our support of him isn't about our interests but about our fears. >> reporter: four years ago, donald trump beat hillary clinton by nearly 15%. for now, it seems the only true front runner here is uncertainty. we'll have south carolina primary results saturday and next week be sure to tune in to complete super tuesday coverage,

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refusing to be silent, now rewriting their future. the group of courageous women who told their truth of sexual assault. the stories helping bring down a former hollywood titan and bringing about long-awaited justice. here's my "nightline" co-anchor, juju chang. >> there has been a verdict in

the harvey weinstein rape trial. >> guilty of rape and sexual assault. >> how did you feel when you woke up this morning? because in many ways, as gloria says, this is a new dawn. >> i think i'm still processing. i'm happy and relieved about the verdict. i'm happy that the jury got it and grateful that i was heard and believed. >> reporter: were you worried at all that you might not be believed? >> absolutely. i mean absolutely. i'm terrified. >> reporter: the long wait for justice finally over for mimi hailey, who was sexually assaulted by harvey weinstein 14 years ago. you said you started to cry. what were the tears for? >> tension, relief, just release, a tension release, i think. and just a big, you know, exhale, really. >> it's a new day. a new dawn. >> reporter: in los angeles this morning, women dubbed "the silence breakers", who have

shared their accusations against the disgraced movie mogul celebrated. >> i have a message for all the victim blamers and those who have retaliated against us. this one's for you. your time is up. >> convicted rapist is right there at the top of his forehead. now he has to face what he really is and what he's really done. and there has to be a consequence for this kind of behavior, because it destroys lives. >> reporter: how do you feel about the other five women in the case and more broadly, people like the silence breakers? >> it's incredible. i admire and believe every single one of them. they are the ones who created the environment for me to feel safe enough to speak up in. >> reporter: more than 90 women have accused harvey weinstein, including rose mcgowan and

ashley judd. >> i thought no meant no. >> reporter: yesterday's verdict a watershed moment for mimi, and they finally feel understood. if the jurors were sitting here, what would you say to them? >> i would just say thank you. thank you for getting it. >> reporter: when you say getting it, what do you mean? >> for believing me, for listening to me, for hearing me many. >> reporter: harvey weinstein is now a convicted rapist and what goes through your mind? >> that's what he is. so. >> reporter: what do you mean, that's what he is? >> well, he is a rapist. >> according to his defense attorneys yesterday he said he was innocent. he's no longer innocent as a matter of law. he is convicted of rape. he also is convicted of a criminal act. >> reporter: the verdict partially hinged on mimi's story. >> she first met him in 2006 at

the cannes film festival and was hired for project runway in new york city. >> she was ambitious to be in the business and harvey was a powerhouse. >> she says that harvey weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her. >> but she, like others, continued to keep in touch with harvey after that, despite this foul. >> reporter: the jury found him guilty of sexually assaulting mimi. >> and the other witnesses who testified in this case probably bolstered mimi's story as well. >> reporter: weinstein was also convicted of third degree rape, involving a second woman, jessica mann. >> it was wonderful to hear the words guilty, and i'm very happy that he's had to face the consequences. >> reporter: mimi and two of the witnesses in this case were represented by famed women's rights attorney gloria allred.

you keep calling this a legal reckoning. what message does this send to prosecutors? >> that a woman who has been raped or sexually assaulted will be believed by a jury. >> we've been like stuck in this very outdated ideas about what, you know, who a rape victim is. and i think that we're beginning to understand the reality, which is more often than not, people know their attacker, and it brings with it all kinds of complicated, you know, emotional confusion. >> this case could embolden prosecutors and victims to come forward more and take more chances in prosecuting cases that maybe ten years ago they couldn't win. >> reporter: the disgraced hollywood power broker was acquitted on the three other charges, including first degree rape and two counts of predatory sexual assault, avoiding a potential life sentence. >> this was about two cases, both of which had issues.

and the fact that a prosecutor's got convictions on both of them is a big win. >> reporter: tonight, weinstein remains in custody at bellevue hospital in new york city where he's being treated for heart het palpitations and high blood pressure. upon his release he will be sent to riker's island. >> we will be asking for his release so he can be home during the pendency of his appeal, &-pc to a year. >> reporter: prosecutors say he used his significant power and influence to lure women in and scare them into silence. women like wolf, who testified against weinstein in court. >> weinstein is now a convicted rapist. >> harriet said so bluntly and cleanly. it's landing. it's landing heavy right now. >> reporter: she was a 28-year-old waitress and aspiring actress at a trendy new york restaurant when she first met the hollywood mogul. she testified that she felt

manipulated into meeting him at his apartment where she says he held her down and raped her. what do you think harvey weinstein took from you that day? >> a pretty big chunk of me i think. some sort of comfort in myself and strength in myself that was missing. and i say was, because i'm getting it back. >> reporter: what you're saying is, this is incredibly helpful for you. >> i'm so glad i opened my mouth in the first place, because i thought i was fine, and now i know i'm not. it still moves me inside. >> reporter: for the women who made their voices heard, that silence is now broken. people are calling you a hero. >> every single person i feel like who has spoken out is a hero. >> reporter: you're looking around at everybody else, but it's hard to say it about yourself. >> yeah. >> i'll say that about her. she's a hero. >> yeah, well, you're a hero h

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[ applause ] that's president obama presenting kathryn johnson with the medal of freedom. the master mathematician died yesterday. her leave-changing calculations helped america went the space race, a story featured in the film "hidden figures". >> math is always dependable. >> and through her life, succeeding despite race and gender barriers. the importance of her contributions,

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