Christine Vilbrun admits her sister initially had to drag her out of their Harford County home to attend a party in Baltimore when Vice President Kamala Harris officially accepted the Democratic nomination for president on Thursday night.
However, she said the historic nature of the evening and the enthusiasm of the partygoers at Terra Café eventually made her change her mind.
“She said, ‘Hey, I want to go to a watch party,'” Christine, 35, said of her 29-year-old sister Anabelle, who was visiting from New York. “She likes being part of a crowd and feeling the energy and being part of the community.”
“I’m glad I came. Experiencing history is just incredible,” Christine said of her first official watch party. “It’s really important to be able to see ourselves and imagine ourselves in these high positions of power.”
The Vilbrun sisters were there, along with a few dozen others, when Harris became the first woman of black and Asian descent to accept a major U.S. political party’s nomination for president. The party, sponsored by the Baltimore City Democratic State Central Committee, was one of several in the state, including events in Baltimore, Queen Anne’s and Wicomico Counties.
The party in Baltimore may not have been as loud as the scene at the United Center in Chicago, where thousands of cheering delegates attended the Democratic National Convention, but the crowd was still thrilled as they watched Harris accept the nomination on four big-screen televisions.
When Harris stood and declared that she accepted the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, people clapped and cheered. Angie Winder, the Central Committee’s corresponding secretary, pounded the table several times as Harris spoke of how, as California’s attorney general, she took action against for-profit colleges that cheated workers out of their wages and how she fought to protect senior citizens who were victims of abuse.
Winder and others cheered and clapped as Harris said, “We are not going back!” to a second presidency under Republican candidate Donald Trump.
“Imagine Donald Trump without guardrails,” Harris said in Chicago. “He would use the immense power of the United States not to improve your life … but to serve the only client he’s ever had: himself.”
Harris began her speech shortly after 10:15 p.m. EDT, after several hours of speakers telling stories on the evening’s themes: strong defense and support for veterans, reproductive rights, gun control and more. And they told personal stories about the candidate.
Between the speakers, there were musical performances and entertainers, including comedian and actor DL Hughley, who drew laughter when he referenced Trump’s comments at the National Association of Black Journalists convention earlier this month, where Trump tried to claim that Harris only became “black” when she entered politics.
“Kamala has been black longer than Trump has been a Republican,” Hughley said.
Among those in attendance at the cafe was Del. Regina T. Boyce (D-Baltimore City), who had arrived earlier before leaving to attend another watch party hosted by Baltimore Women United. She and others listened to speeches from more than a dozen people, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts).
Warren spoke about the difference between Harris and Trump: “He is a convicted felon,” she said.
“That’s true!” some people in the café replied.
Boyce said her own family history mirrors that of the vice president and both embody “the American dream.” Harris’ parents are from Jamaica and India, while Boyce’s family is from Jamaica and Barbados.
Boyce said Harris’ success does not surprise her.
“For me, it’s not a big deal because women, and particularly black women, have been leading for centuries,” she said. “So it makes perfect sense to me that a woman, particularly a black woman, would be at the helm of our country. I’m excited about it.”
Karen Thomas of Baltimore, who also attended her first watch party, was also excited.
“I watched the conference at home and the idea of watching it with so many other people who were really excited about it made me want to come,” she said.
Like many other Democrats, Thomas said she respects President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw his re-election bid just a month ago and make way for Harris. Biden simply hasn’t been able to bring the same energy and enthusiasm to the campaign and the Democratic Party as Harris, she said.
“I think we see that experience, policy and wisdom are a very important part of being president, but also the ability to exude optimism and competence is part of being president, and that’s what Kamala has,” Thomas said.
After Harris accepted the Democratic nomination, Winder has a message for voters.
“It’s one thing to have the momentum, but it’s another thing entirely to see the action behind it,” she said. “We encourage everyone to cast their vote for Kamala Harris on November 5.”
