In mid-2023, anxiety about the upcoming election and the volatile political climate led me to block words like #Trump, #MAGA, #Jesus, and #election from my social media feeds. It was a digital ostrich move – burying my head in the sand to avoid the storm.
Then, a month ago, President Joe Biden announced he wouldn’t seek re-election. That morning, I cried, envisioning a Democratic National Convention dominated by pontificating old white men debating who could best Donald Trump.
But something extraordinary happened.
By Sunday evening, Vice President Kamala Harris had emerged as the leading candidate to replace Biden. A groundswell of energy and optimism surged around her candidacy. That night, I joined millions in donating to her campaign and un-blocked those political tags. I needed to witness this shift.
Since July 21, 2024, my experience of election season in America has transformed. Kamala Harris’ campaign swept aside the old guard, bringing a diverse range of younger leaders – from Gen Z to Millennials. Their ability to speak truth to power, mock foolishness, and push back against misinformation has revitalized the Presidential race and the national mood.
Tonight is the fourth night of the Democratic National Convention. I’m glued to the screen, having donated for the third time today. I’ve never felt so personally invested in the Democratic Party. It’s hard not to be when I see the parade of people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, young and old, celebrities, athletes, and folks from every economic background attending. This DNC embodies “For the people, By the people” in a way I’ve never experienced before.
Kamala Harris and her team brilliantly focused their initial messaging on values, not just programs. Slogans like “Freedom,” “We’re not going back,” and “When we fight, we win” pulled me out of my despair and resignation about Democratic leadership.
The surge of TikTok memes, remixes, and the sassy voices of “Kamala HQ” and “Swifties for Kamala” showed me that Democratic politics was evolving into something fresh and vital.
A month later, I’m thrilled to watch Democrats respond to divisiveness while championing middle-class values, equity in housing, fair wages, education, and job opportunities.
But how do we maintain this momentum?
How do we reinforce these values of kindness, family, bodily autonomy, reproductive rights, marriage equality, and fairness beyond convention week?
When I posed this question on Threads, the resounding answer was, “We have to vote.” And yes, we must vote as if our lives depended on it—because they do if we want to reject fascism, autocracy, and dictatorship (and put an end to the truly horrific Project 2025).
Jamal Whorms-MonDésir (@trevourblac.jpg on Threads) captured it perfectly: “I think we’re witnessing a full-on cultural reset in America. It feels like someone finally rolled down the windows on the hot car we’ve been stuck in.”
Now that we’ve caught this breath of fresh air, how do we keep it flowing? How do we nurture these feelings of mutual respect, shared values, equity, and support that the DNC has showcased – and use them to win this election?
The answer lies with us. It’s time to step up, speak out, and work tirelessly to ensure this vision of a more inclusive and hopeful America becomes our shared reality. Keep the windows down in the car, and drive towards a better future.
In mid-2023, anxiety about the upcoming election and the volatile political climate led me to block words like #Trump, #MAGA, #Jesus, and #election from my social media feeds. It was a digital ostrich move – burying my head in the sand to avoid the storm.
Then, a month ago, President Joe Biden announced he wouldn’t seek re-election. That morning, I cried, envisioning a Democratic National Convention dominated by pontificating old white men debating who could best Donald Trump.
But something extraordinary happened.
By Sunday evening, Vice President Kamala Harris had emerged as the leading candidate to replace Biden. A groundswell of energy and optimism surged around her candidacy. That night, I joined millions in donating to her campaign and un-blocked those political tags. I needed to witness this shift.
Since July 21, 2024, my experience of election season in America has transformed. Kamala Harris’ campaign swept aside the old guard, bringing a diverse range of younger leaders – from Gen Z to Millennials. Their ability to speak truth to power, mock foolishness, and push back against misinformation has revitalized the Presidential race and the national mood.
Tonight is the fourth night of the Democratic National Convention. I’m glued to the screen, having donated for the third time today. I’ve never felt so personally invested in the Democratic Party. It’s hard not to be when I see the parade of people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, young and old, celebrities, athletes, and folks from every economic background attending. This DNC embodies “For the people, By the people” in a way I’ve never experienced before.
Kamala Harris and her team brilliantly focused their initial messaging on values, not just programs. Slogans like “Freedom,” “We’re not going back,” and “When we fight, we win” pulled me out of my despair and resignation about Democratic leadership.
The surge of TikTok memes, remixes, and the sassy voices of “Kamala HQ” and “Swifties for Kamala” showed me that Democratic politics was evolving into something fresh and vital.
A month later, I’m thrilled to watch Democrats respond to divisiveness while championing middle-class values, equity in housing, fair wages, education, and job opportunities.
But how do we maintain this momentum?
How do we reinforce these values of kindness, family, bodily autonomy, reproductive rights, marriage equality, and fairness beyond convention week?
When I posed this question on Threads, the resounding answer was, “We have to vote.” And yes, we must vote as if our lives depended on it—because they do if we want to reject fascism, autocracy, and dictatorship (and put an end to the truly horrific Project 2025).
Jamal Whorms-MonDésir (@trevourblac.jpg on Threads) captured it perfectly: “I think we’re witnessing a full-on cultural reset in America. It feels like someone finally rolled down the windows on the hot car we’ve been stuck in.”
Now that we’ve caught this breath of fresh air, how do we keep it flowing? How do we nurture these feelings of mutual respect, shared values, equity, and support that the DNC has showcased – and use them to win this election?
The answer lies with us. It’s time to step up, speak out, and work tirelessly to ensure this vision of a more inclusive and hopeful America becomes our shared reality. Keep the windows down in the car, and drive towards a better future.