Photos by Alex Clark.
There have already been so many takes on the DNC and what the convention meant for the upcoming election, the future of the Democratic Party, and maybe even the overall path of this nation. I only like to add to the conversation if I feel I have something truly unique and useful to offer, and in this case I definitely do. Not just me, but also the four dear friends I traveled to the convention with. We are all artists, activists and entrepreneurs, from a variety of backgrounds and lived experiences, so I asked them to contribute their perspectives as well. I really hope that reading this gives you the permission you deserve to make your own choices about how you’ll participate in this new era of the American Experiment.
The LAMARKS Takes (Founder + Chief Poetic Officer, Ars Poetica)
Take #1: The DNC devoted a lot of (too much) energy to sucking up to institutional powers, republicans and moderates. A Palestinian representative was denied stage time and peaceful protestors were abused and disrespected, and hidden from view. Choices like these make youth, the left, and progressive idealists like myself question if the Democratic Party has any interest in actually changing how this nation is organized, or if they only care to perpetuate their version of the status quo.My advice: More time and energy should be spent coalition building and trust building with the vocal and mobilized left. These are the people who have the potential to bring the party out of middling mushy centrism and a race to the lowest common denominator. The democrats have taken that approach for decades and it’s really not having inspiring results. They are also the group that, if they remain uncommitted, could cost our country an opportunity to legally protect our rights to body sovereignty. I recommend that the party leadership and campaign strategists dedicate more time and brain power to outlining a concrete plan for how the individual rights of a human body ladder up seamlessly into the sovereign rights of groups of people to govern themselves and live on the land in peace. And how the US can begin to demilitarize our international relationships, not imbue them with even more violence.
Take #2: Security, defense, and militarization are alienating and do more harm than good. There must be a better way to keep us safe than to resort to creating oppressive environments where one fears that an armed guard will infringe upon their rights at any moment. It was very disconcerting how the barricades and massive police and secret service presence created a climate of fear and mistrust, and alienated the public, the protestors, and even ordained speakers and performers who were disrespected and not given the proper guidance for needs as simple as how to enter the buildings in which they were booked to speak.
My advice: Establish a paid, interdisciplinary task force to ideate and implement non-violent, peer-to-peer governance systems that put the power into the hands of the people to keep each other safe. Should that really be so difficult?
The Tigresse Bleu Take (performance poet + mystic + dancer)
My feelings on the Democratic Party have evolved over the years. From bright-eyed and hopeful to disappointed and frustrated, it’s been a descending timeline that I do not doubt mirrors the sentiments of many. I went to the DNC to gain a new perspective. For too long I had been cynical…surely there was more than the circus I have witnessed and was used to.
Once arriving at the convention site, I was afraid that my optimism was already waning, that once again I was faced with a subtle but still crushing truth that nothing has changed. The initial sense of confusion and defeat permeated the air. Complicated, convoluted, and contradictory…what’s new? But why did it seem as though it was purposely difficult to gather for something that was supposed to connect us and ultimately serve us: the people? We came to write poems for other attendees. We longed to have genuine conversations about the future we want. We wanted to name those desires so the people can bring them to life. But amidst roadblocks and security grates, we couldn’t even figure out how to enter the convention building that was supposed to be “open to the public”
Eventually my colleagues and I planted ourselves underneath the shade and began to carve out a space. A space where truth and connection could thrive out and in the open. We searched for hope. We wanted to go beyond the obvious negativity and dive deeper to retrieve nuggets of collective wisdom and vision.
What should be done? What can be done? How can we collectively visualize our future for the better? We then encapsulated these moments into an art piece: a poem. Poetry is our signature way of expressing these vulnerable truths and needs. Something so simple and yet profound. Timeless. Just like the themes that were consistently brought up by the people we connected with.
Education. Compassion. Protection. Peace. Love. For all is all any of us really want. The themes of the poems spoke for themselves. And we created cracks where hope could poke its tender shoots up toward the light.
My experience of the day left me feeling rejuvenated and inspired. The energy from the city and the convention was infectious. It was just what I needed. But then, it was time to ask myself the same question I had posed for others earlier: What do I envision for our future as a country?
Well, this idea expands beyond just us but it does start small. A seed. It sprouts and grows throughout our communities, making sure that we are all connected and nurtured. If we protect ourselves, the land, our waters, and our communities while valuing what each member of our society has to offer, I can’t help but think of how powerful that can be. How far and wide that kind of energy can reverberate, creating a cascade of love and safety throughout our world.
I see a domino effect of empathy and over-standing (yes, overstanding) of how humanity can thrive within harmonization and simplicity. Through policies that protect our most vulnerable. Through an inner-standing of ourselves that runs so deep that there is no longer any question of whether funding the extermination of an entire people is wrong. We will simply know what is right.
That’s the future I see.
And so it is.
The Anthony Corlette Take (real estate agent, culinary entrepreneur, founder of Roaming Hide bespoke leather and jean collection)
The DNC is not for “us.” Us can mean whatever you think it means. If you are not a delegate, a donor, part of the government industrial complex, or a member of some version of the second estate, the DNC wants to present itself as if you are welcome, but you are not truly invited. You are an NPC in their videogame.
It felt like they actually didn't want the public there at all. It did not feel welcoming or inclusive, which is the opposite of how it should be, especially in a political climate where we need more votes on the Democratic side. It should have been clear and easy for us to access the event itself. When people are left out and or turned away, it kind of makes them not want to vote at all, and in the worst case turn them to the other side or to a defunct third party option, which helps none of us. I agree, it felt alienating and if we were other people, who didn't understand why voting is so important, this experience would have done more harm than good. In my opinion, it should have been held outside and in a space where more "regular" people could attend. It was a missed opportunity.
My advice: All this money that goes into getting these candidates elected… there has to be another way to use that money to also fund programs that will actually help the American people. I don't know how or have any suggestions for what we do to get there, but I agree that overall the event felt HOLLOW. So many issues are being swept under the rug when this country is in need of REAL and actual change….Why are political parties in our courts? Why are we not doing anything real to keep our planet alive? Why are we creating policies that make it harder for people to vote? The list goes on and on….
Why not turn the DNC into a party-funded annual regional jubilee where citizens and voters and residents of this land can actually show up and be heard and share real ideas and dreams for our future?
The Kira Porter Take (Founder of By Kira Mae + freelance yoga, pole and spin instructor)
I was blindly raised to be a Democrat and never really understood or cared to do any research on what that meant. Being raised a pastor's child, that seemed to be a running theme for my upbringing. Whatever your parents believe is what you believe. As an adult, as Tigresse stated, my view on the party has vastly changed.
Attending the DNC or any political convention for that matter never seemed like something I would willingly do and I’m glad that I actually did it. It felt nice to see so many people inspired and hopeful at the notion of not only a woman for president but a black woman.
As hopeful as we all seemed to be there was definitely an underlying fear of the future. What will actually be the outcome? Regardless of who is elected, will we ever see actual progress and measurable change when it comes to issues like climate change, human rights and our failing education system?! I wholeheartedly agree that these events should be geared more towards the people, the voters and the public. Give people an understanding of who and what they are buying into. Vendor trade shows are cute but what are we REALLY doing here??
So, What’s Next?
In spite of these hindrances and shortcomings, overall I am so, so happy I attended, and grateful for the company and insights of some of my closest friends and most trusted comrades on the journey. There were many different types of folks who truly showed up and obviously care so deeply about elevating the path this country is on, making up for our systemic mistakes, and dismantling the oppressive structures our forebears built without everyone’s buy-in. Overall, there is a hopeful, righteous, passionate energy about “righting this ship” in some way. If there will be follow through on the other side remains to be seen, but I am willing to stick around and find out if a better future is possible.Our advice to the DNC and the Kamala campaign: Take this energy and all this MONEY and funnel it into people first policy projects and public service works to SHOW not TELL real American people (working class, artists, activists, disabled people, poor people, people in small towns, underemployed people, people without access to healthcare or wifi) what their world can look like if we all show up to cast our precious votes in November. Take the money from the elites and put it into the hands of the changemakers, not the media conglomerates for hollow advertising, celebrity endorsements, and wooing content creators. And start thinking bigger. Start feeling into the future the people are demanding. Encourage your constituents to share wild ideas and potentialities for the future they really want. We want to get to have a say in how the party works. And if you don’t let us, I assure you, no one will be pleased with the result.
If these ideas interest and excite you, come hang with us weekly, Fridays from 4-7 at our clubhouse at Portal Gallery in Portland.
