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Black culture and the Black family structure were on full display at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on night two. Audience members enjoyed an enthusiastic ceremonial roll call where historic leaders like Rep. Maxine Waters, Gov. Wes Moore, Rev. Raphael Warnock, and Nikema Williams swayed to classic hits from artists like Kendrick Lamar, Tupac Shakur, Aretha Franklin, and Lil Jon, who appeared in person to perform portions of “Turn Down for What” and “Get Low” as they cast their respective delegations’ votes for Kamala Harris, the sitting vice president who now is on the path to succeed the president. 

New York made a strong statement with filmmaker Spike Lee front and center with Gov. Kathy Hochul, as she referenced the historic feats of female New Yorkers during her remarks. 

“We are also not just the birthplace of great progressive movements; we are the birthplace of Shirley Chisholm, we are the birthplace of Geraldine Ferraro, we are the home of Hillary Clinton, and that’s why, as the first woman governor of New York, I am so proud to cast 298 votes to make Kamala Harris the first female president of the United States of America,” Hochul said, fueling an already ignited crowd. 

During this brief history lesson, NY Attorney General and Howard University graduate Letitia James stood by Hochul’s side, cheering on the decision to support Harris as a fellow alumna. As the celebratory mood subsided, a more serious tone took its place when world leaders spoke to the threat associated with another four-year term for former president Donald Trump. 

“Kamala has shown her allegiance to this nation, not by spewing anger and bitterness, but by living a life of service and always pushing the doors of opportunity open to others,” said Michelle Obama, wearing braids down her back. “She understands that most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward. We will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth. If we bankrupt the business or choke in a crisis, we don’t get a second, third, or fourth chance.” 

Much of her speech focused on policies amplified by Trump that would harm everyday Americans. 

“It’s his same old con: doubling down on ugly, misogynistic, racist lies as a substitute for real ideas and solutions that will actually make people’s lives better. Look, because cutting our healthcare, taking away our freedom to control our bodies—the freedom to become a mother through IVF like I did: Those things are not going to improve the health outcomes of our wives, mothers, and daughters,” Obama added.

“Why would any of us accept this from anyone seeking our highest office? Why would we normalize that type of backward leadership? Doing so only demeans and cheapens our politics.”

A family affair

The DNC provided an opportunity to redefine gender roles among presidential spouses at every level, giving equal weight to remarks from a previous First Lady and her spouse, and offering the spotlight to an aspiring First Gentleman in a blended family.

Michelle Obama’s husband and the 44th U.S. president, Barack Obama, doubled down on the narrative hammering the notion that the country must band together to build on the achievements of his vice president pick and the current president, Joe Biden. 

“Now, the torch has been passed. Now, it is up to all of us to fight for the America we believe in. And make no mistake, it will be a fight,” Barack said. “For all the incredible energy we’ve been able to generate over the last few weeks, for all the rallies and the memes, this will still be a tight race in a closely divided country.” 

Most poll watchers believe the final decision will fizzle down to ballots cast in the five battleground states. According to Navigator Research, the vice president is behind in Arizona and Pennsylvania, but tied with Trump in Michigan, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. 

“And as we gather here tonight, the people who will decide this election are asking a very simple question: Who will fight for me? Who’s thinking about my future, about my children’s future, about our future together?” Barack Obama said. “One thing is for certain: Donald Trump is not losing sleep over that question. We do not need [another] four more years of bluster and bumbling and chaos. We have seen that movie before, and we all know that the sequel is usually worse. America’s ready for a new chapter. America’s ready for a better story. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris.” 

As the Obamas used the national stage to cement their belief in Harris’s abilities, her husband Doug and stepson Cole Emhoff used the opportunity to highlight her quiet strength. 

“We might not look like other families in the White House, but we are ready to represent all families in America,” Cole said of his stepmom before introducing his father. 

Emhoff and Harris met on a blind date that led to their marriage on August 22, 2014. On Thursday, they will celebrate their 10-year wedding anniversary as Harris accepts the Democratic nomination for president. 

“Wherever she’s needed, however she’s needed, Kamala rises to the occasion, and she did it for me and my family,” Emhoff said. “And now that the country needs her, she’s showing you what we already know: She’s ready to lead.” 

He praised Harris for her innate empathy, which he said is one of her strengths. “She will lead with joy and toughness, with that laugh and that look, with compassion and conviction,” Emhoff said. “She’ll lead from the belief that wherever we come from, whatever we look like, we’re strongest when we fight for what we believe in, not just against what we fear.”
Tuesday’s program theme was “A Bold Vision for America’s Future” and as Democrats move to convince the nation that Harris’s leadership is worthy of a four-year term, Emhoff said he believes her contagious smile will carve out a new era of understanding for commanders in chief. 

“Kamala is a joyful warrior. It’s doing for her country what she has always done for the people she loves. Her passion will benefit all of us when she’s our president,” he said.

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Congressmember Adriano Espaillat hosted a ‘Dominicans for Kamala’ Breakfast during the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Tuesday with guest speakers and Dominican electeds from all over the country.

Espaillat is the first Dominican from New York State—and the first in the country—elected to Congress. “We do this every four years, and it’s an important kickoff for us in the Dominican community—and the Latino community in general—to begin the process of electing the first female president of these United States: Kamala Harris, our VP,” Espaillat said at the breakfast. 

“Last night was an electric time as women took the stage. It was about my mother, my daughter, and my granddaughter,” Espaillat continued. “It was about how women can take charge and usher in—it’s not yesterday, it’s not tomorrow, it’s now.”

Other speakers at the breakfast included Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, the first Dominican elected to that office in the city’s history; Bronx Assemblymember Karines Reyes; and Maryland House of Delegates Rep Joseline Peña-Melnyk. 

“I’m a first-generation immigrant,” Reyes said. “I was born in the Dominican Republic, but I’ve made New York and the Bronx my home. What’s at stake in this election is so much more than just the White House. We need people in office who are not climate, science deniers. When we see what’s happening right now—La República Dominicana sufre (suffers), Puerto Rico sufre, Mexico sufre, South America  sufre, because everything we do here impacts our countries back home, impacts our people, impacts our loved ones.”

According to the Pew Research Center, Hispanics make up about 19% of the nation’s population. As of 2022, that translated to a new high of roughly 63.7 million people, despite revised question wording on census forms and shifting categories about who identifies as Latino or Hispanic.

“It is really important because the Latino community is the fastest growing demographic, and there are a lot of us in the U.S., and we can vote,” said Peña-Melnyk, whose daughter is also a delegate. “It is important for us as Dominican Americans to come out and vote for Kamala Harris. She represents us in our values and we need to make sure that we tell our networks and that we’re active and involved and we show up at the polls.”

Reynoso emphasized the significance of potentially advancing the first Black woman and first South Asian into the White House, “but we also have to work toward winning the majority in Congress and making sure Hakeem Jeffries is the Speaker of the House.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced a $12.5 million investment into a new Dominican Center for the Arts and Culture in Washington Heights/Inwood, led by the Dominican Studies Institute (DSI) at the City College of New York. The center will feature a museum and exhibition space for Dominican and Latinx artists, a theater space or auditorium for performances and film screenings, and a children’s library that will focus on preservation of the Spanish language.

Espaillat said efforts are also underway for a national designation for Washington Heights as Little Dominican Republic.

“There has been untapped power in the Latino community for a long time,” said Hochul. “There are those across the country who are making a difference by running for office in Colorado and Maryland, Massachusetts, and people have been successful. By example, there is a path for more voices to be heard. This is a [Dominican] community of 3 million strong in the United States, 1 million of [whom] live in the great state of New York.” 

Hochul touched on the fact that “there’s a sentiment that a lot Latinos are trending toward the Republican party” and said, “We can’t let that happen, not on our watch. We have to let them know that we’re the ones fighting for families, for immigrants, for migrants, and all those who come here.”

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* This article was originally published here