The Democratic Party has “recording” in its platform. So why are there no Muslim speakers in the first line-up of the Democratic National Convention – and only a handful of Latinx votes?
That is a question that activists and organizers put on the front lawn in the days leading up to the Democratic National Convention, when the party will officially anoint former Vice President Joe Biden to be nominated after nearly a week of hoopla.
The convention lineup includes a lot of party lights, long-time Biden loyalists, and even two adjoining Republicans. But it is thin on top spots for some of the most consistent constituencies that promise to embrace the “big tent” of the party.
‘It does not track that I get an email from the Democratic Party every other day to say how important the Latino vote is. But if they can show us that we matter, we will not get a seat at the table, “Julissa Arce, an immigration rights activist, told The Daily Beast.
The four-day event contains only three Latinx headlines and leaves Muslim Americans completely off, each making up a complex, diverse group of individuals that Biden hopes to turn into record numbers. The lack of adequate representation, some Democratic activists argue, is even more pressing, and flat-out shocking, in trying to present a strong front against President Donald Trump.
To “have as many Republican speakers as Latinos, it just doesn’t send a great message,” Sawyer Hackett, a senior adviser to Julián Castro, told The Daily Beast about the plans to appear. Castro, the only Latino candidate to seek the party’s 2020 nomination, did not make the cut.
The virtual nature of the event during coronavirus has forced officials to limit the number of guests and the amount of time for general zest. In previous cycles, the convention program ran for six hours each night over four total nights. This year, each night will be only two hours long, representing 16 hours less time for guests to talk.
Using that are three leading Latinx Democrats: sen.Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Gov. of New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham, and rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
They will share the week with other notable leaders, from former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. A host of Biden’s old presidential rivals–Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg–will also speak.
But they also come next to visible so-called NeverTrumpers Michael Bloomberg, the former Republican mayor of New York City, and Ohio’s former Republican governor John Kasich, with whom members of Biden’s inner circle have worked throughout the general election.
The calls for further diversity come in the afternoon of news reports that have brought the apparent shortage into public view. Business Insider reported Tuesday that Ocasio-Cortez, one of the top stars in the progressive wing, will only have “60 seconds to comment.” Ocasio-Cortez, a DNC official told The Daily Beast, nominates Sanders, with each nominee one minute speaking time. For that, Newsweek published a detailed story with the headline, “Why High-Profile Latino Democrats Won’t Speak at Biden’s Virtual Convention.”
The Democratic National Convention Commission did not return a request for comment.
“The thing that’s really painful is that this is the Latino invisibility that many of us are fighting in all areas of American life,” Arce said.
On Friday, a senior member of Biden’s campaign tried to explain himself – and suffered injuries.
“There has been a lot of excitement & questions about the upcoming convention. I’m here to share what Latinos will represent, with key voices from across the nation showing the strength and resilience of our community. But this is not like a typical convention, ”tweeted Cristóbal Alex, a senior advisor at Biden, on Friday. “For a start, we will not have 10 hours of speech per day. This is 2 hours a night with the aim of reaching voters all over the country, including Latino voters. That’s why @JulianCastro has a role to play. ”
Alex noted several other Latinx voices that will have additional roles in the convention talk: Long Beach City Mayor, Robert Garcia, Victoria Neave, Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Rep. Filemon Vela (D-TX), the Secretary of State of California Alex Padilla, former Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, State of Nevada sen. Yvanna Cancela, State of Texas Rep. Victoria Neave, and Biden co-chair of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. He also announced that singer Prince Royce will perform, and that DNC President Tom Perez has kept the convention afloat.
But that roster has not completely satisfied some activists who explain that they feel isolated from the biggest election event of the cycle. Those concerns were more pronounced when in contrast to Bloomberg, the billionaire former Republican, in particular.
“The lack of real representation was highlighted days ago, and somehow they had enough time and found enough space to add billionaire Mike Bloomberg,” Hackett said, adding that he was not “ashamed” to say that more members of the Latinx community should be promoted.
When Bloomberg’s press office revealed that he would have a speaking lock on Thursday afternoon, some Democrats were already beginning to worry about how a large party of donors worth billions could get some virtual airtime.
One civil rights organization, Muslim Advocates, was particularly dissatisfied. The organization filed a lawsuit in 2012 against the New York City Police Department, which Bloomberg supervised at the time, for its surveillance program aimed at Muslims. The fact that he never apologized during his short tenure of the presidency caused even more uproar over the decision to present him prominently on the national stage.
Other proponents point to Trump as a more existential threat, noting that his ban on immigration primarily stopped Muslim immigrants from entering the country. At the 2016 Democratic National Convention, one of the most memorable moments came when Khizr Khan, a Gold Star father whose son died in the Iraq war, delivered a passionate address criticizing Trump’s behavior and conduct. .
This year, activists note, that opportunity will not be offered.
“For a party to truly embrace that full diversity of the country, you really need to embrace religious diversity and you really need to look at the American Muslim community,” said Scott Simpson, director of Muslim Advocates. Asked if he was surprised that the DNC chose to invite a Muslim-American Democrat to speak, he said: ‘I was disappointed. I can not say that I am surprised. ‘
Reached for comment after publication, the DNC official said, “the program will reflect the diversity of our country and will include representation from the Muslim-American community,” adding that “the full convention program has not yet been announced.”
In recent weeks, Biden has convened a virtual zoom event featuring Muslim leaders and organizers. He also held a separate fundraiser to further address engagement. “You could be significant differentiators” in the outcome of the general election, Biden said, according to a August 10 fundraiser.
Wa’el Alzayat, CEO of the Muslim education group Emgage, has been in contact with Biden, who he and his group have endorsed, and other Democrats on the importance of the subject for November. That contrast is more pressing with Trump in office, he said.
“This thing started with demonizing Muslims on the campaign track,” Alzayat said, addressing Trump’s White House policies and rhetoric. “Representation and inclusion are not only the right thing to do, but it’s a point you make when you prove an alternative.”
Interior and other groups will host related events during the week of the convention. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who just won a Democratic primary battle for her House seat, will talk with Sanders and other progressives for a virtual town hall.
“My interest here is not to choose a food for food here a few days before the convention,” Alzayat said. “But we absolutely want to encourage, we want to promote to get as many votes as possible.”
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