I recently returned from Philadelphia, where I attended the Democratic National Convention as a reporter for the Amsterdam News. I opted to skip the Republican National Convention the previous week in Cleveland, in all honesty because I did not want to interact with Trump supporters for five days. Luckily, the RNC had very few racially charged interactions and was a relatively “calm” convention. The DNC had its fair share of drama and protests, but luckily the city of Philadelphia did not need to use any military-grade weaponry to control its own citizens.
The DNC had a slightly rocky start when DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Shultz had to step down because of an email leak that exposed some possible coordination with the Hillary Clinton campaign while Bernie Sanders was still in the Democratic primary race. As embarrassing as this incident was for the party, the Clinton campaign and democracy as a whole, a silver lining was the appointment of Donna Brazile as interim Chair for the convention and until the DNC sorts itself out. I don’t have enough space to write about the political brilliance of Donna Brazile, but do look her up if you are not familiar with her work in the inner circle of the Democratic Party.
The highlights of the DNC are the various speeches from everyday Americans who have a perspective or point of view that may not make it to mainstream politics. Because the Democrats were showcasing just how large, inclusive and welcoming their political “tent” would be for all Americans, there were powerful speeches pertaining to labor, abortion access, HIV awareness, the Muslim faith and so much more. The more well-known politicians spoke during prime time to essentially build a case as to why it is imperative to vote for Clinton-Kaine on Nov. 8.
And then there was the woman of the hour, Hillary Clinton, taking the baton from Obama and pledging to break even more glass ceilings if she is elected president. Clinton has some of the lowest favorability numbers of any modern day presidential candidate. The lack of enthusiasm among some Democrats may be because they feel like they have “known” Clinton for so many (too many) years. However, I would be remiss if I did not mention that there are individuals who just cannot bring themselves to vote for a woman for the highest office in this country, ever.
So, the road to the White House will be paved with the hard work of the Obamas, the Bidens and millions of Democrats who may not be in love with Clinton, but thinking of the alternative is something most reasonable people cannot fathom. Moving forward, as we work to make sure an entitled, narcissistic, megalomaniac liar does not get his hands anywhere near the nuclear codes or policy pertaining to women’s bodies, I would like to thank Elinor Tatum and the rest of the Amsterdam News for allowing me to be a part of this moment in history.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University and the author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream.” You can find her on Twitter @Dr_CMGreer.