Last Word

Once in a lifetime an opportunity presents itself to witness a truly historic event, and for me that opportunity came when I was elected as a delegate from North Carolina’s 6th Congressional District to the Democratic National Convention, pledged to Senator Barack Obama.

For the first time in a long time, there was actually a real competition for the 135 delegates and 19 alternate delegates from North Carolina. Apparently, I was not the only Democrat who realized the historic nature of the event as over 500 North Carolina Democrats vied for these seats. The delegate selection/election process is complicated, and the competitive nature of this particular year presented a valuable education for Democrats young and old. In fact, Guilford College had a distinct connection in the delegate elections. Malcolm Kenton ’08 and I, a CCE student, were the finalists in a close run-off. While I was grateful to have won, it was a bittersweet victory. My friend Malcolm and I have partnered and worked tirelessly for our political party for years.

The Denver experience quickly became exasperating and adrenaline often took over. There were so many events! There was simply no way any one delegate to get to all of them so I had to select which event to attend, and it was not always an easy choice. My political experience stems mainly from organized labor and I found myself at the functions of the AFL-CIO, Emily’s List, National Education Association and other like-minded organizations. Other great memories include attending a fundraising reception sponsored by the Friends of New Orleans, complete with a Cajun zydeco band, and shaking hands with vice-presidential candidate Senator Joe Biden.

But the one thing I looked for out in Denver, and was pleased to find, was equal access. There was indeed a true element of equality on display. Major political players were easily visible and accessible. Because of this I and other delegates were able to shake hands and have small chats with a number of celebrities and famous politicos. Before I went to Denver, I wondered whether a regular grassroots activist like me would be accepted, or snubbed. I can truly say that I was accepted at all levels. I am glad and grateful to have had the opportunity to witness the political event of a lifetime.