Elevation by Sheilah Vance

Day 5 Pennsylvania for Obama-log

    Thursday was such a monumental and historic day.  As an African American, I never thought that I would see in my lifetime an African American man running for President as the party nominee.  I would I didn't believe there were enough people in the United States who could get over the issue of race and judge a candidate, as Martin Luther King said, "on the content of his character, not the color of his skin."  But my children, Hope and Vance, believed it early on. And as I saw what was happening with young people and people who believed as Martin Luther King did right in front of my eyes from that Iowa primary on, I decided to believe, too.  I liked many of the Democratic party candidates who ran for President this year, but as I saw them get beaten and drop out one-by-one, I believed with great shock that Barack Obama and everyone who supported him for the good of this country, was actually going to pull it off.  I'm glad that I was able to do my part during the PA primary, and I am absolutely honored, humbled, thrilled and fortunate to have been able to be at Invesco Field on Thursday night to see Obama accept the nomination and address us packed into that field and the millions watching all over the country and the world.  While I was sitting way up in the rafters (understanding why they called that field Mile High) and while his speech had many high points, I didn't think the speech was Obama's best (I was looking for more of the stirring oratory from him that I know he could deliver, but I understand that he had to deliver a different kind of speech with more specifics), I was happy to just be in the house.  I'm going to watch the speech again and buy the DVD of it to get the full impact and the feeling of having Obama right in my house through my television screen.  But I was never more proud to be a part of history as Obama delivered his speech, and especially when the whole Obama family walked on stage as our country's soon-to-be "first family."  Leaving the stadium, the crowd broke into spontaneous cheers of "Obama, Obama", "we're fired up and ready to go."  And I cheered along.  I'm fired up and ready to go and willing to do whatever I can to make sure that Pennsylvania goes for Obama and brings the rest of the country along with us.  For weeks, I have been telling everyone who supports Obama that every supporter has to vote, but every supporter has to do more than vote.  Every supporter has to look at their own skills and comfort level and volunteer to do something.  If you like to talk on the phone, make phone calls.  If you like to write, send emails.  If you'r'e an attorney, please help us with election protection activities because we have to do everything legally possible to make sure that the Republicans don't steal this election this time.  Visit www.barackobama.com and do something!  As my friends and I said at the convention, we're fired up and ready to go as soon as we go home and get a good night's rest.  So, enjoy these photos of the end of our convention journey (click on and open any photo here or elsewhere in this blog to make it larger and to see more detail), and join us on the campaign trail starting this week as we are "fired up and ready to go."  Peace.  SV

More photos from Pennsylvania for Obama-log

Just a few photos from the experience:  Cindy with Christopher Lewis, a partner with Blank Rome law firm in Phila. and member of the Obama National Finance Committee; there are a lot of great and original t-shirts here, and here's one of them that has Obama's pix on the front, and this quote, "Black man running, and it ain't from the police", on the back; Joan, Lorraine (my old friend and roomy for four nights--thanks Lorraine), me and Cindy as we arrived at the Pepsi Center; Phila. WCAU-10 news anchorwoman Renee Chenault Fattah waiting for her husband, Congressman Chaka Fattah to finish an interview; me with Randal Mangham, my old Howard University School of Communications classmate, who is also a busy Georgia State Rep., reverend, and an attorney ;  Spike Lee, the great filmmaker who seems to have a perpetual bad attitude in person;   me with Phila. attorney Rhoda Hill Wilson, who was here with the American Justice Associaton (formerly American Trial Lawyers Assn.), where she is on the Executive Board;  Cindy on the floor with the PA delegation; me at the HOPE sign in front of the Pepsi Center, in honor of my daughter Hope, a junior at Wellesley College who couldn't be here because she's studying in Buenos Aires this semster (I'm going to visit her next month and can't wait!); Phila. City Councilman Curtis Jones on the floor; the PA delegation sign; us with Gayle King, Oprah's Best Friend and editor of Oprah's magazine (boy I wish I had a copt of my book with me then!); Lorraine, Cindy and me with political consultants Ervin Webb, Richard Mays, and a key Clinton strategist Harold Gist; with CN8 Managing Editor and Anchor Art Fennell; Lorraine and MTV makeover stylist at the TV One party with Musiq Soulchild; Cindy at the TV One party with Kid Capri; Jesse Jackson in the hallway of the Grand Hyatt, hopefully saying the right thing as he is being interviewed; my view of the convention hall during Hillary's speech; Musiq Soulchild at the TV One party ; Rose George and Peggy Crumley at breakfast; the PA delegation official photo, although half of the delegation was missing because this photo was taken after lunch, not after the important morning meeting; me with my old friend Congressman Fattah in a more casual mood earlier in the day; my view of the convention hall during Hillary's speech; Philly atty. and Obama finance member Bernard Smalley and his lovely wife Jackie;   .

Day 3 Pennsylvania for Obama-log

Tuesday was another thrilling day.  I was again fortunate enough to be given a pass to get into the convention hall (thanks Chris).  The day's highlights were a luncheon that AT&T gave for the Pennsylvania delegation at the top of a high rise building downtown.  I was happy to run into our great Senator Bob Casey (always Bobby to me, as I met him in 1986 when I served as press secretary to his Dad, Gov. Robert P. Casey, Sr., during his successful campaign for Governor)).  I was so proud of Sen. Casey as he electrified the hall and the nation with his speech at the convention later that night.  My girls Rosa, Cindy, and I also ran into our Governor Ed Rendell.   He's been doing a great job stirring up and uniting the PA delegation every morning at the 7am- 9 am delegate breakfasts.  Then, at the convention hall that evening, I had an opportunity to sit on the floor with the PA delegation as Gov. Rendell gave his stirring speech.   We then sat way up in the top rows for the rest of the evening, so happy to just be in the house.  I wasn't too happy with the way Hillary Clinton conducted herself during the PA primary, but she redeemed herself with her speech that night. She brillantly unified the party and made the case for Obama.  The after-party that night was a Four Star Four Delegation party at the Inesco Field for the PA, NY, NJ and Florida delegations.  Our bus driver got lost, so we got the party late.  But, as we came up the escalator and looked straight ahead, who was speaking but Bill Clinton!    We walked over a little closer.  He's in the middle of the crowd pix in this post (click on the picture to enlarge it, and you can see him in the middle with his white hair).  Then, I was right in front of a woman in a wheel chair who was insistently pushed towards the front of the crowd to see Hillary.  I followed behind her.  Hillary recognized the woman and came right over to us, giving me those great pix you see here.   All in all, another thrilling evening.     

Biden for Breakfast - Day 4 Pennsylvania for Obama-log

The Pennsylania delegation was all abuzz yesterday after Gov. Rendell said that we would have a special guest at the delegation breakfast on Thursday.  Everyone thought that it would be Joe Biden, a son of PA raised in Scranton, and Pennsylvania's "third senator" because PA and DE are so close and because the PA Democratic leadership often called on Biden for help in those years when we did not have a Democratic senator.  So, Biden visited us after his moving and electrifying speech Wednesday night.  After he spoke, I went up front to take his picture, after Rosa pushed me to do so.  As I got to the front, I saw Sandra Dungee-Glenn, an old friend who is Chair of the PA School Reform Commission (aka the Phila. School Board's new name after the Phila. School District was taken over by the state).  I told Sandra that I would take her picture and stood behind her as she moved up.  Then, I took a picture of Curtis Jones, old friend and Phila. City Councilman 4th District, as he moved up.  Then Sandra said that I should get in there and take a picture.  I thought--he's not going to take a pix with little old me after all of these important people, especially a woman who was then taking a pix with him and she obviously knew him.  But, as I made it to him, I said, "Senator Biden, I'm just an average Pennsylvanian who thinks you're great."  He looked at me and said, "You do not look average," and we both laughed.  Then he said to the waiting crowd, "This woman doesn't look average does she?"  Then he said again, "No, you do not look average."  Biden actually stayed with the delegation for about an hour until everyone who wanted a picture with him had one taken!

But, seriously, Biden's comments last night were so moving, along with just about every other speaker.  I was fortunate enough to again be in the convention hall last night with my new friend Gail Titus.  I was so humbled to be there, and the feeling in the hall, the people I met (especially Ann from Kentucky, who was so thoughtful in her comments on what it meant to be an Obama supporter in a very red state, an American and a Democrat), and the speakers' remarks moved me and made me think about where we are as a country and the extreme importance of this election.  I am going to write more thoughtfully about that nights' speakers after a few days of reflection.   But I can tell you that I am more energized than ever to do everything I can to make sure that Obama/Biden win.  I don't know how anyone who heard last night's speakers could do anything different.  Anyway, I'm off today to Obama's acceptance speech.  The hall went wild when Obama came on stage last night.  More to come.

Day 2 Pennsylvania for Obama-log

  Last night was thrilling. I met so many famous and distinguished people at the Convention. My two big thrills were watching Michelle obama's speech from a press skybox courtesy of my friend from XM Radio; we had a birdseye view of the entire hall with all the signs and standing ovations. I was close to tears during the entire speech and lost it when she brought her two girls out. I never thought that I would see an African American woman and two African Amerucan little girls on that big stage and headed to the White House. My second great big thrill was meeting George McGovern as I arrived. I fawned over him like he was a rockstar, which he was to me as a high school student paying attention to her first election.   Some of the photos on this page are:  on the bus, my roommate, old friend and Obama delegate Lorraine Bell-Dennis; Gov. Ed Rendell addressing the PA delegation breakfast; my old friend Phila. Councilwoman-at-large Blondell Reynolds Brown and me; old friend Bonnie Bowser, Rep. Chaka Fattah's Phila. Chief-of-Staff--I joined her in a walk around the Convention center looking for Rep. Fattah in the press area, where I ran into DNC chair Howard Dean and DNC Convention Chair Rev. Leah Daughtrey, who I congratulated on a wonderful Interfaith Ceremony and took a pix with; Gary Scott with Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, a former Philadelphian; California Congresswoman Maxine Waters; Sylvain Cypel, a reporter for the French newspaper Le Monde, who interviewed me about this election's racial issues;   and Rosa and me sitting on the floor, shut out of the crowded convention hall, until my friend Charles Ellison from XM Radio took us into the press skybox for Michelle Obama's speech.   When we returned to the hotel, we ran into my old friend, PA State Sen. Vincent Hughes and his lovely wife, actress and activist Sheryl Lee Ralph. I did the press for Vincent's first campaign for State  Rep. over 20 years ago.

I can't get any more photos on this post, so I'll put the photos from her speech on another post.  More to come!  Peace.

Day 1 in Denver

Sunday:  On our first full day in  Denver, we wanted to get into town and see all of the excitement.  Before we left, Rep. Chaka Fattah arrived with his family in a huge pickup truck.  One of our main tasks each day is to try to find as many passes as possible to get all of us non-delegates (also known as "guests") into the convention hall.  The PA delegation hotel is not downtown, so the best way for us to get around on Day 1 was by Denver's light rail system.  Luckily, there was a station within walking distance.  So, off we went to town.   Our first stop was the DNC Interfaith Service at the Denver Convention Center.  This was the DNC's first Interfaith Service, organized by Rev. Leah Daughtrey, the DNC convention planner.  Speakers included Colo. Gov. Bill Ritter; Rev. Charles Blake, Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, who I was fortunate enough to also hear preach when I visited his church in LA with my friend Judy Narcisse in LA; and music by the Richard Smallwood singers.  The service was interrupted at the start three times by anti-abortion activists before police took them out.  Also joining us in getting around that day was Warner Macklin, from Pittsburgh, an Obama national finance committee member and all-around good guy.  We had a lot of fun.       We walked downtown to the main 16th Street Square which was like a street fair.  There were a lot of protesters and a whole lot of police in riot gear.  We stopped for a photo with our old friend, Philadelphia Mayor Mike Nutter, before we headed out for the evening.  We first stopped at a reception hosted by Cozen & O'Connor Law Firm and the Obama National Finance Committee.  We ran into our old friend Al Spivey, now Chief of Staff for Phila. City Councilman Curtis Jones.    We went downtown to a Salute to Civil Rights Organizations hosted by Tavis Smiley and Rep. Maxine Waters of California, capped off by  a fabulous concert by Phila. native, Frankie Beverly and Maze.  The theme at the salute, reinforced by such dynamic speakers as Rev. Al Sharpton of the National Action Network and Marc Morial of the Urban League, was that these organizations paved the way for a Barack Obama and that the struggle was not over.  Frankie Beverly and Maze gave an amazing hour long concert that had us all dancing in our seats, and Cornel West dancing on stage (and he's a really good dancer).   

Day 1 Pennsylvania for Obama-log

We're here. Denver is all the way live. There was a whole group of Pennsylvanians on the plane on the way out , and  then we ran right into another group of friends and colleagues as we arrived.  The photo showing us arriving at the airport is:  Cheryl Stinson Mobley, a delegate; Gary Roberts, a delegate and aide to my Congressman Joe Sestak (7th Cong. District); Cindy Bass, my friend and running buddy who invited me out to the convention to be a part of history--she's an Obama delegate, a key district aide to my longtime friend and supporter, Congressman Chaka Fattah, and a nearly successful candidate for Phila. City Council, 8th Councilmanic District; my other dear friend and running buddy Rosa Woods; Dan Wofford, my old friend from Georgetown Law School who went on to build his own political and public policy career and who was a nearly successful Congressional candidate; me with my "Stop the Drama Vote Obama" T-shirt, which was a real conversation starter; and Jerry Johnson, newly elected president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. 

Once we arrived at the PA delegation hotel, 20 miles from downtown Denver, (which makes it a real pain getting around) we saw other friends.  In the other picture: Cheryl, Rosa, Marian Tasco, 9th Councilmanic District, Phila. City Council; State Rep. Cherelle Parker; Janet Rider of the Phila. Federation of Teachers; Charmaine Matlack-Turner of the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition; Me; Cindy, and Gary.

More to come...Peace.

Pennsylvania for Obama-log

Yes, I was this close.  This is the picture I took of Barack Obama as he stood right in front of me at his On Track for Change whistlestop at the train station in my little town, Paoli, right before the Pennsylvania primary in April.  And now, thanks to a friend of mine who is a delegate, I'm going to the Democratic National Convention to be a part of Obama's history, mine, and yours.  So many of my friends wish that they could go, too.  What will go on at this convention is so important to the future of our country that I want to do my part to share that with as many people as possible.  So, I'm going to be blogging from the convention every day, giving my friends, old and new, the flavor of what's going on out in Denver, in words and pictures.  As we gear up to deliver Pennsylvania for Obama, watch this spot every day during the convention.   Because, as goes Pennsylvania, so goes the nation...and we're going for Obama.  Peace.--SV