Last week, I had the privilege of serving as a delegate from Massachusetts for the Democratic National Convention, where we nominated Vice President Kamala D. Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as the Democratic nominees for president and vice president. It was an electrifying experience. This was my first time serving as a delegate, although I previously worked at the Democratic National Convention in 2016 as a lawyer, and I served as a volunteer for the 2004 Convention in Boston as a post-high school teenager. Representing Massachusetts on a national stage and casting my support for a Black woman to be this country’s next President was an incredible honor. As the Madam President of the Boston City Council, I know the joys and challenges of leadership, and I am excited that we are on the precipice of having a Madam President in the White House. The excitement inside the arena was palpable, as the diversity of the Democratic Party was on display – blue-collar Democrats, abortion rights activists, members of the Divine 9, you name it. Throughout the week one thing was clear: We have 68 days to fight for our democracy, and everyone has a role to play.
Day one of the convention showcased the future of the Democratic Party, and it is diverse both in racial and gender makeup, and in ideas. Vice presidential nominee Tim Walz made a surprise appearance at the Black Caucus meeting of the DNC, where he highlighted how the Harris-Walz ticket not only brings substance and experience, but also joy. When speaking of the Republican ticket, he stated, “You know the only time they laugh is laughing at somebody less fortunate than them. . . . They see our most vulnerable citizens as scapegoats and punchlines for their jokes. [Kamala] sees them as neighbors and people who deserve to have respect.” Amen to that.
I heard from our very own Congresswoman Pressley on a panel about how this moment builds on the legacy of former Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to run for a major party’s presidential nomination. Shirley walked so Kamala could run. Later that evening,Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jasmine Crockett spoke about how the progress we need can only be achieved with Vice President Harris in the White House, someone we can work with to steer this country in the right direction. Hilary Clinton received an extended applause for her trailblazing attempt to shatter the glass ceiling. We also ceremoniously thanked President Joe Biden not only for his work on behalf of the middle class, on behalf of labor, and for appointing the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, Ketanji Jackson, but also for putting country before self in his decision not to seek a second term. Vice President Harris made a surprise appearance, too, to thank the president for his service.
The days and nights that followed were packed with speakers who would make the case for the Harris-Walz ticket — survivors of mass shootings, Reverend Al Sharpton, D.L. Hughley, former President Bill Clinton, and Massachusetts’ own trio of powerhouse women in Governor Healey, Minority Whip and Congresswoman Katherine Clarke, and Senator Elizaberh Warren (who also received a lengthy applause from attendees). It was a celebratory environment, akin to a pep rally, but we all understood the work that follows. Despite her impeccable credentials, Vice President Harris, as a Black woman, still faces racism and sexism. And as someone who has not held the office of president, unlike her opponent, she is still the underdog. It’s up to every single one of us to do our part to save democracy from peril and to make sure we elect a candidate who cares about the vulnerable among us and who has worked on issues of justice. Now, I am never one to sell anyone a pipe dream. I’ve been disappointed by national politics before. Voting alone is not going to solve all of our problems. But it is an important part of a multitude of things we have to do to realize racial justice and a more perfect union. My theory of change depends on electing leaders who show a willingness to listen to the needs of the people and deliver material results. That Vice President Harris addressed issues that we are grappling with here in Boston on the local level, such as the the need to address the housing shortage and to combat gun violence, and addressed issues on the national level that also affect many of us here in Boston, such as a foreign policy more rooted in safeguarding the life and dignity of people, whether in Haiti or in the MIddle East, leaves me hopeful.
No other speaker brought home the importance of this moment more than former First Lady Michelle Obama. As a Black woman who faced so much as the first Black First Lady, she stated of Kamala, “she understands that most of us will never be afforded the grace of falling forward.” I felt that statement in my bones – the difficulty of being the first, to have no template, to be the “only” in white-dominated spaces, and to be held to an unbelievably high standard for any misstep. How do we make it easier for Kamala to be the first Black and South Asian woman President? Michelle Obama told us: We all have to “do something.” That means volunteering for a phonebank to call people in battleground states to remind them (convince them!) to vote. That means making sure your cousin in Atlanta who just turned 18 is registered to vote. That means buying a plane ticket to knock on doors in Wisconsin or Pennsylvania or North Carolina. That means donating as you are able. That means organizing people for house parties or writing postcards to undecided voters. Anything you can do will be a step towards a common sense leader and not the nonsense of Donald Trump. So let’s all do something.
Go to https://go.kamalaharris.com/ and find your thing. As Governor Walz said when he addressed the Black Caucus at the DNC, I may be preaching to the choir, but the choir’s gotta sing.
Ruthzee Louijeune is an American politician and lawyer serving as president of the Boston City Council.
