Last night, I watched the opening day of the Democratic National Convention. And it dawned on me that we are witnessing far more than just a political convention. A political age is coming to an end as we see it. We are witnessing the creation of history. We are seeing the link between the past and the future. WE are observing the graduation process and its political consequences. I have witnessed a lot firsthand.
On Sunday, August 18th, Dr. Byron Brazier hosted a town hall meeting at the Apostolic Church of God. The panel consisted of Rev. Al Sharpton, Rufus Williams, Matt McGill, Morgan Elise Johnson, and educator Constance Jones. Roland Martin was the moderator. On stage, I reflected. Remembering Al as a robust teen in New York and Rev. Jesse Jackson telling me to watch him because he had leadership qualities. We have to nurture and groom him, he said. I thought about Dr. Brazier, my childhood friend with my cousin Charles Mazique, Jr., and how our friendship has remained steadfast throughout the years. And now Brazier leads more than a church. He is a real thought leader as we plan and discuss much together. Morgan is a comer; I see myself in her as I started N‘DIGO and her with the TRIBE. And Rufus, Matt, and Roland with common denominator WVON and how many political discussions we have had throughout the years. I am taking it all in. We had a great conversation, offering opinions and analyzing our current situation.
The convention started as I left town for safety and clarity. I remember the 1968 convention in Chicago when I was a Roosevelt University student. I am stuck on a nice demonstration about how a war can turn into a police riot. I will not witness that again.
Rev. Jackson Honored
Rev. Jesse Jackson was honored Sunday at his Rainbow PUSH headquarters. His youngest son, Yusuf, had to hush and quiet the audience to start the program. I left the town hall meeting to go to the PUSH honor, where Bernie Sanders spoke to say Rev. Jackson was about 30 years ahead of the Democratic Party. The party just caught up with Jesse.
Monday night, August 19, the DNC honored Rev. Jesse Jackson to a standing ovation and applause. He was in a wheelchair on stage with Sharpton and his sons Jonathan and Yusef. Women in his life were missing. Mrs. Jackson and Dr. Jeanette Wilson, and perhaps me. He made many that will stand on the stage possible. I so wanted to write his speech. I wonder what he would say if he could move beyond the crippling of Parkinson’s disease. I remember the late Rev. Willie Barrow. I can hear her say we, the people, took Jesse from community organizing to politics. She would bust at the seams if she could see her former intern secretary, Minyon Moore, at the helm of the DNC.
Jackson worked in the vineyard to make the necessary changes to modernize the Democrats and make the party current and eligible for new blood and new ideas. One man never elected to office brought forth transformation. Jackson made the party relevant, which led to the presidential elections of Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and today, Vice President Kamala Harris. So, Rev. Jackson, in essence, ran two presidential campaigns that changed America. This is his legacy. He changed the Democratic Party by being an external force, keeping hope alive. Marches. Speeches. Consistency. Persistent. Saturday morning meetings for 50 years. He taught as he learned using his preacher’s voice. I cry to recall the full circle coming into reality.
President Joe Biden added fifty more years after that. After experiencing a personal family tragedy, he was appointed as the youngest senator to the senior president. He served America admirably. He will be remembered as one of the best presidents in the nation’s history.
Biden served as Obama’s vice president for eight years. He chose the first Black woman in American history, Ketanji Brown Jackson, for the Supreme Court. The first Black woman in history was Kamala Harris, who is also a possible presidential candidate and his running partner. He’s been an elected official for a long time. With confidence and capability, he finished the job.
Hillary spoke. She broke the glass ceiling as she ran against Donald Trump and won the popular vote by 2.8 million but lost the election. But she paved the way for today.
History connects. Hard work pays off. Progress has been made. We continue to move forward.
We are entering a new stage, a new era. History in the making is something to watch.
The future comes.
