Building Black Political Power - and Legacy - at the DNC

Representation at a party convention is the epitome of "a seat at the table" when shaping the policies that impact Black communities. Party conventions like the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention are where the political rules and processes are set every four years. It's where policies and partnerships are formed that last long after delegates head back home.

In 1964, Fannie Lou Hamer's speech at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) paved the way for Mississippi's first racially integrated delegation. Through the decades, delegations from states have become more and more diverse. We've used our votes to make sure our representatives in statehouses and Congress look like us and commit to the issues we care about. The diversity on the United Center's stage and throughout the arena seats at the DNC this week has been long in the making.

Strategies to combat the increasing costs of rent and groceries, Project 2025, and attacks on Black history are the hot topics in hallways and on stages this week.  NAACP members serving as DNC delegates this year, chosen to represent their state, are networking to figure out solutions to their community's biggest issues.

"The thing I'm taking from (DNC) is so much courage and the enlightenment that you are not alone," said Singh, a DNC delegate and NAACP member from Connecticut. There are a lot of people all over America who are working to make sure that people have access to housing, access to education."

From delegates to DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, up the chain to the party's presidential nominee, the legacy of Black culture, Black joy, and Black wins are on full display. It's historic.