27 July 2016
#DNCinPHL*This article comes courtesy of Fusion*
The Democratic National Convention is mimicking last week's Republican National Convention in certain ways. Like the schedule: speech, speech, speech, performance, speech speech. And also the sartorial choices of convention goers: weird hats, signs, American flag paraphernalia. But that's about as far similarities go. From the first night, it was already clear that the attendees and speakers at the DNC's inaugural night looked a whole lot different than the ones at the RNC.
On Monday alone, America encountered disability rights advocate Anastasia Samosa, ninth generation Mexican-American actress Eva Longoria, and undocumented immigrant and DREAMer Astrid Silva. (And those women weren't even the evening's headliners.) Cameras panning across the convention hall showed not just one or two black and Latino faces in a sea of white ones, like at the RNC, but a crowd that looks a lot more like America does: diverse. Essentially, we're being given two distinct version of America: last week we saw its past, and this week we're seeing its future.
The numbers don't lie either.
Hillary Clinton's campaign told Fusion that 2,887 of this year's 4,766 DNC delegates are women. Black men and women account for 1,182 delegates (compared to 18 at the RNC) while 292 are Asian American, 747 are Latinos, 147 Native Americans, and 633 are LGBTQ-identified people.
Thirty women stepped up to the podium Monday night at the DNC.
Michelle Obama
…and 30 men, making last night an even split between men and women.
Bernie Sanders
Eighteen of the 30 women who spoke were women of color.
Actress Eva Longoria
…and at least two of the 30 women identify as lesbians. One of those two is a preacher and veteran, Nevada State Sen. Pat Spearman.
Sen. Pat Spearman (D-NV)
Aaaand here's what the RNC looked like…
Republican National Convention attendees
The first night at the RNC only featured seven women, and asQuartz points out, five of those seven spoke before prime time. (Sen. Joni Ernest was bumped to a late-night slot.)
And let's not forget the most memorable speech given by a woman at the RNC on opening night. (Although, to be fair, a famous black woman was also represented…)
Melania Trump
So, for all you math nerds, the DNC had 23 more women speakers the first night of the DNC than the first night of the RNC.
And guess what else? This year's DNC has at least 27 trans delegates, reports Mic.
Then there's the question of race. The DNC looked like a scene straight out of a certain popular '90s multicultural PBS show. Already we know that the majority of women who graced the stage last night were women of color. But here's the breakdown of race across gender:
There were 18 black speakers last night. (Coincidentally, that'sexactly as many black delegates at the RNC—total.)
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Twelve of Monday night's speakers were Latino.
DREAMer Astrid Silva
Twenty-nine white speakers got airtime at the podium, which means, friends, there were more women who spoke last night than white people who spoke in total. Wowee!
Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) and comedian Sarah Silverman
According to Politico, more than 80% of the 71 prime time speakers at the RNC were white.
Republican National Convention attendees
There's nothing that captures the ideological differences between the Republican and Democratic parties like their respective conventions. The GOP struggles mightily to attract voters of color, and the 2016 primary election was viewed as a referendum on whether or not the party would shift with America's demographics. Clearly, it did not. Instead, it doubled down.
The party's pick, Donald Trump—whose policies target immigrantsand Muslims—is a reaction against inclusivity.
Donald Trump
If Monday night is any indication, the Democratic party stands in stark opposition to the GOP's message. Which, let me remind you once again, is this:
Republican National Convention attendees
Caitlin Cruz contributed reporting to this piece.