By Catherine Pugh
Special to the AFRO
This past Democratic National Convention (DNC) held at the United Center in Chicago from Aug. 19-22, is my sixth. My first was in 2000, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles; followed by 2004, Fleet Center, Boston; 2008, Pepsi Center and Invesco Field, Denver; 2012, Cable Arena, Charlotte, N.C., and my hometown in 2016, Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia.
Every convention is confronted with protestors and Chicago was no different. On the first day of the convention buses were held up for hours by protestors. The bus I was on sat for three-and-a-half hours before we were allowed to disembark. However, the protestors were unable to disrupt the excitement that was to follow once delegates and friends entered the convention halls. Every day following, we experienced little if any delay. They were smooth rides to the convention center and the check-in and security checkpoints moved quickly.
I can’t remember feeling this much excitement at a DNC; perhaps it rivaled the nomination of President Barack Obama who had survived a tumultuous battle for the nomination against Hillary Clinton in 2008–quite a contrast to his crowning nomination in 2012.
This year was more like 2012. My first two conventions were California and Boston, where Al Gore followed by John Kerry, respectively, became the Democratic nominees and lost the presidential elections. There are those who would argue the election was stolen from Gore, and I’m certain Hillary Clinton supporters laid claim to the same kind of defeat. The 2016 DNC in Philadelphia where Clinton was nominated saw disruption by Bernie Sanders holding his delegates to nearly the end of the convention in an effort to have his agenda heard, even though Hillary had won enough delegates to be the Democratic nominee for president. The Democrats wanted unity and for Bernie to come under the tent.
I don’t think anyone could have predicted–I know I could not–that on July 21, 2024, President Joe Biden would step down and endorse the candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris to be the next president of the United States and in just little under a month she would galvanize the Democratic Party and wrap up enough delegate votes to claim the nomination prior to the convention.
Each day of the convention was filled with excitement. It was difficult to watch President Biden, front and center, tell America and those of us in attendance: ”I gave my best to you.”
“Thank you Joe,” was the chant that roared through the center during his speech and every time his name was called. I am sure he felt the love. That would be the last time we would see Joe during the convention even though many speakers, including the nominee and every former president paid tribute to him. President Biden and his family left the convention following his speech for a well-deserved vacation.
On day two the featured speakers were the Obamas, and everyone I asked thought the best speech given outside of the vice president’s was that of Michelle Obama. I was mesmerized by her presentation and forceful, calm delivery that had us sitting on the edge of our seats or standing and applauding uncontrollably. The words of Michelle will be etched in history and will include her remarks when referring to Trump. She said, “Who’s going to tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those ‘Black jobs.’” She was chiding remarks made by Trump during his debate with Biden when he referred to immigrants taking “Black jobs.”
To have witnessed two of the most engaging speeches, that of Michelle and Barack Obama, which were sheer joy and evoked emotions that made you wish the presidential election were happening outside the door of the convention center that day.
During the ceremonial roll calls, every state was assigned their own song. While almost everyone would agree that Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” is a great song, it had no connection to the state of Maryland–a state that has produced so many great artists, including Toni Braxton, Sisqo, Dru Hill, Billie Holiday and Frank Zappa. Most songs played for the states either reflected an artist born in that state, a theme song that had become a part of a top state official’s campaign or a hit song with the state’s name mentioned like Beyonce’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” used by Texas.
Besides Maryland, of course, my favorite roll call presentation was that of Tennessee and the remarks given by its second speaker, state Rep. Justin Pearson who had been expelled from office in 2023 with one other Black member Justin Jones for protesting in support of gun safety and was reinstated a few days later. They are worth Googling. I predict we will hear from this 29-year-old in the future of Democratic politics.
Lil Jon was quite a highlight in the Georgia roll call, chanting, ”Get your hands up. We are not going back,” while New York featured director Spike Lee out front before the speech of its Gov. Kathy Hochul and played “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. North Dakota also featured an Alicia Keys song, “Girl on Fire.”
Nothing seemed more beautiful at the moment than on the third evening to hear poet Amanda Gordon recite a new poem “The Hill We Climb,” which began: ” We gather at this hallowed place because we believe in the American dream….”
My favorite two verses from her poem were: “We are one family regardless of religion, class, or color, for what defines a patriot is not just our love of liberty, but our love for one another.” And her conclusion: ”Let us not just believe in the American dream. Let us be worthy of it.”
There were many surprises during the convention, from the appearance of Kerry Washington, Oprah Winfrey and the rumor that ran rapidly that Beyonce was going to perform on the last evening.
Other than Beyonce not appearing, I thought that most of the key speakers, including the Clintons, did not disappoint. Hillary drew out the loud chant from the crowd: Lock him Up, ” referring to Republican nominee Donald Trump.
No one from Maryland appearing on the stage at the DNC let attendees down, evident by the ringing applause. Gov. Wes Moore, U.S. Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks, Congressman Jamie Raskin–all were well-received, left indelible impressions, and kept very busy schedules during the convention speaking at caucuses and hosting their own events.
The families of the vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who also gave a riveting speech during the convention, along with Kamala’s family, including her husband, Doug provided moments of applause, tears and joy during the convention. “Joy,” by the way when mentioned during the convention became synonymous with Kamala.
The presidential nominee was elegant and engaging. When I left the convention center in Chicago I felt I knew her, and I am sure that most of us who heard her felt the same. She carried us on a journey from childhood, a life of service to this moment of in-person acceptance of the Democratic nomination for president of these United States. She was not boastful but brilliant. She laid out a plan for America with confidence and courage. She was forceful and fearless. The applause and standing ovations were relentless and reassuring that Democrats had made the right choice in pushing forward a woman who could become the first woman and woman of color to be elected to the presidency of the United States.
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