My Journey with Bernie

As I walk back, I pass a building with a history of the presidential conventions in Philadelphia. I decide this is a museum that I must see and stop inside to take a look! The exhibit has photos from all the party conventions over the years. This convention is the 12th presidential convention in Philadelphia. The history of Philadelphia, America's birthplace, is unique. Our three most important documents were enacted here, the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. The first conventions were held here to start the American revolution and form our government beginning with the First Continental Congress (1774), Second Continental Congress (1775), and the Constitutional Convention (1787). In total, Philadelphia has hosted twelve national presidential conventions. During the summer of 1948, all three national conventions, Republican, Democratic, and Progressive parties all convened during the summer in one city because it was the first year that all three would be on live television networks (ABC, CBC, and NBC). The DNC 2016 slogan “Let's Make History Again” inspires me.¹⁸²

After my tour, I hustle back to the hotel to meet with my roommates Daniel, Bruce, and Juan. We all have arrived over the weekend. Tonight, we have our California delegation meeting at the hotel to discuss our plans for the week, distribute the “white” Bernie hats with a dove symbolizing our message of “peace” that all the delegates will wear Monday night during Bernie’s keynote speech. Tonight is our first in-person meeting with all of the California delegates though many of us met earlier in Long Beach. We close our meeting and together we sing “Journey with Bernie.”