The big news of this year’s Democratic Convention is, of course, the nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris and the drama surrounding her nomination. The kinetic energy of the nomination and the convention are part of the story. From the convention floor on August 19, I can testify to the energy, the happiness, the joy from those assembled. After the last words were spoken, people hung out for more than an hour, full of praise for President Biden and the other speakers.
The surprise visit by Vice President Harris (it wasn’t on the official agenda) wowed the crowd, but there were lots of wow moments on the exuberant first night of this historic convention. Rousing words from Congressional representatives including James Clyburn (NC), Jamie Raskin (MD), Jasmine Crockett (TX), and Senators Raphael Warnock (GA) and Chris Coons (DE) heaped praised on both President Biden and Vice President Harris. But even before Convention Chair Minyon opened the convention, some on-the-floor pre-convention activities were meaningful and historic.
Rev. Jesse Jackson made an appearance at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago surrounded by fellow civil rights leaders. Aug. 19, 2024 (Screenshot NBC News)
Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson was lifted and celebrated on the convention floor. The wheelchair bound civil rights leader and former Presidential candidate whose once-rousing rhetoric energized the Democratic in 1984, was present to receive his flowers from his many friends and admires in the Democratic Party. The Monday celebration came on the heels of a Sunday evening celebration at the Rainbow PUSH headquarters in Chicago’s South Side where Rev. Jackson’s storied history was reviewed and revered by friends and colleagues like Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA), Senator Bernie Sanders (VT), Rev. Al Sharpton and others. Hosted by the Nation Magazine’s John Nicols, the two-hour celebration was a reminder of Rev. Jackson’s political history.
Rev. Jackson’s impact on the Democratic Party is undeniable. First, he challenged the status quo by running for President without having been elected to political office. People, including establishment Black elected public officials actively discouraged him and even ridiculed his attempt. He ran anyway and based on the number of electoral votes he amassed, became a powerful influence in the Democratic Party. From that perch, he was entitled to representation on party committees including Rules, Platform, and Credentials. The Rules committee changed the way Electoral votes are divides, shifting from a winner-take-all system to a proportional distribution of votes. Given that altered formula, Democratic party candidates were able to amass delegates to the convention more fairly. This rules change has helped every candidate, winner or loser, in their race and made the party both more diverse and more competitive.
Jackson’s legacy is his Rainbow Coalition, his method of bringing people together whose similarities dwarf their differences. The Rainbow principles are those of social, political and economic justice, and justice includes voting justice. His voter registration efforts were game-changing, and his line “the same hands that picked peaches can pick Presidents”, continues to inspire, spawning organizations like The National Coalition for Black Civic Participation, Black Votes Matter, and others. The voter registration and participation may be more important now than ever, with Republican nation-wide aggressive efforts for suppress the vote. According to Barbara Arnwine, founder and President of the Transformative Justice Coalition, there have been 291 voter suppression laws in 40 states passed in the past four years, with 6 states passing 7 additional restrictive laws just this year. On the positive side, eleven states have passed fourteen laws that protect the right to vote. Arnwine, who is part of the Rainbow Coalition’s leadership, is passionate about election protection and is among the many who has benefitted from Rev. Jackson’s mentorship.
The Chicago convention is focused on the future, and it was delightful to see the future showcased highlighted with speeches from under-40 Congressional stars like AOC (NY) and Jasmine Crockett (TX). The Sankofa symbol means “go back and get it”. In giving Rev. Jackson his flowers, we’ve gone back to get elements of his leadership, fire, and focus. Democrats will move forward with Kamala Harris, but we’ve also got to go back to our basics.
