Members of the Unity Democratic Club gathered inside a Riverdale bar Thursday evening to watch the final night of the Democratic National Convention.
The Blackstone Bar and Grill provided a lively setting for the watch party, where about 40-plus attendees celebrated the official nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris for president and mobilized Bronxites to get out the vote for the Democratic ticket.
The Bronx had a sizable delegation at the convention in Chicago, including Borough President Vanessa Gibson, Council Members Pierina Sanchez, Diana Ayala, Amanda Farías and Eric Dinowitz, Assembly Member Karines Reyes, newly-resigned Assembly Member Kenny Burgos and more. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who represents parts of Queens and the South Bronx, gave a fiery primetime speech on opening night.
Harris became the party’s nominee after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race on July 21 — and club members said they’re fired up.
“We feel the heightened energy coming out of the Harris-Walz campaign,” said Abigail Martin, district leader for the 81st Assembly District and one of the club’s founding members.
Martin said she has been especially impressed with Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, calling them “beautiful examples of the men that we need.”
“I want my son to grow up to be like either one of them,” said Martin.
The Unity Democratic Club aims to be inclusive, embracing the wonkiest of political wonks along with those who are only loosely interested, said Marcelo Lopez, who handles communications for the club.
The group also sees variance in left-leaning versus more moderate members, and those who attend just one meeting versus those who participate in every canvassing effort, he said. And the club website calls it a “multi-racial, multi-class coalition.”
The group exists to bring northwest Bronxites together around political issues both obvious and not so obvious. The presidential race is always the star, but this year’s New York ballot will also include a question about adding anti-discrimination protections to the State Bill of Rights. The club is spreading awareness of the ballot measure, commonly called “Prop 1.”
But for at least one night, the presidential race took the spotlight.
“If Kamala wins — which we hope she does — it is historic,” Lopez told the Bronx Times. The watch party is just one effort to “build that excitement.”
At the party, with drinks and snacks in hand, all 40 or so attendees were united in the buzz around the convention’s final night, which featured appearances from actor and Bronx native Kerry Washington; Harris’ grand-nieces and stepdaughter; and New York City Council member Yusuf Salaam and other members of the Exonerated Five, who were falsely imprisoned as teens.
Several televisions were on, but club members spent time talking and getting to know each other, often drowning out the convention speeches.
Bereket Ghebremedhin, who lives in Van Cortlandt Village, called the Unity Democratic Club “really welcoming and accepting.”
“It’s a community,” said Ghebremedhin. “You find real friends here.”
The Unity Democratic Club is connected with the Harris-Walz campaign, and party guests signed up for phone banking, postcard mailing and canvassing.
But the night’s biggest surprise was not a performance at the convention by Beyonce, who was falsely rumored to attend, but club president Betsey Knapp’s announcement that the club is spearheading a bus trip to Pennsylvania on Sept. 29 to canvas for Harris and Walz in the critical swing state.
“Nobody has a bus from the Bronx to Pennsylvania,” Knapp said, to cheers and applause. She said the bus was already paid for through a fundraising effort, and the club took donations throughout the evening for a second bus in October.
Ramdat Singh, who wore a “Kamala Harris for the People” t-shirt, told the Bronx Times he was excited to see a candidate who reflected his own heritage. Singh said his family is from Guyana and of South Asian descent — and he is a teacher, as Walz was.
“I was on Team Kamala since her first run [in 2019]” said Singh.
Sharon Frazier and James Fenniman drove to Riverdale from the Upper East Side, having found no watch parties in their own neighborhood.
Frazier said she was inspired by former first lady Michelle Obama’s convention speech on Aug. 20 encouraging Democrats to get to work. At the party, Frazier, who is originally from Puerto Rico, noted that her fluency in English, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese might come in handy as she checked the box next to every potential volunteer opportunity with the Unity Democratic Club.
“I just want to help Kamala,” Frazier told the Bronx Times.
She said her brother is a supporter of former President Trump — even while his sons support Harris — which has caused a rift in the family. She said she strongly disagreed with Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, especially on women’s rights and reproductive freedoms.
Frazier expressed the feeling of stark consequences for the November election. “We want to stand up and do something for [Harris],” she said. “We don’t have an option.”
Fenniman donated $100 on the spot towards the next bus trip. “I think that’s really cool,” he said, noting that he and Frazier might attend the October trip.
The convention concluded with Harris officially accepting the presidential nomination. Meanwhile, members of the Unity Democratic Club will continue riding the wave of momentum during their summer BBQ on Aug. 25 — but then get to work training and preparing for the upcoming Pennsylvania trip.
In a city with frequent elections, volunteers and voters can easily get burned out — which is why it’s important to add fun events to the mix, said Lopez.
But members of the club are motivated. He said the group has been on high alert since last fall’s Bronx Council District 13 election, which, with Kristy Marmorato’s win over Marjorie Velázquez, flipped the seat from Democratic to Republican for the first time in 20 years.
Even in a reliably blue state and city, “That’s what keeps us awake and aware,” Lopez said.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
