Photo credit: Quinn Clark
Children were among the many people who danced together in celebration of the Biden-Harris win.
If there was one word to describe the feeling throughout the hundreds gathered in Zeidler Union Square in Milwaukee on Saturday afternoon, it would be relief. A crowd of Joe Biden supporters couldn’t help but to rejoice and dance to upbeat music upon hearing the news of the Biden-Harris win.
Four days of tension built up as voters waited for results. On Nov. 7, that anxiety was lifted after Biden was announced the 46th president of the United States. Voces de la Frontera Action, Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC), SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin and Fight for $15 Wisconsin organized the event on Saturday to celebrate the win, and to look back on how hard they had worked to increase voter turnout.
Taking Time to Celebrate
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Executive Director of Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, Angela Lang, speaks to the group gathered in Zeidler Union Square. She urged them to be proud of the election outcome.
While the groups joined together could agree that there is plenty of progress to be made in the United States, Angela Lang, activist and executive director of BLOC, explained that it’s important to celebrate victories along the way.
“We didn't know what this election would bring, and to know that we were able to get a Biden-Harris win is a victory, and what that means and how monumental it is and how historic it is, we want to make sure that we're taking time to celebrate,” Lang said. “We've worked really, really hard, but we also know that we have a lot of work to do, too.”
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Photo credit: Quinn Clark
Children were among the many people who danced together in celebration of the Biden-Harris win.
Lang played a huge part in mobilizing voters, particularly working to increase black voter turnout. Despite the Trump campaign calling for a recount in Wisconsin, and Wisconsin State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos calling for a review of the Wisconsin election, she doesn’t expect a change in the outcome.
“At the end of the day, even Gov. Scott Walker said that a recount with our margin is going to be difficult, so, I mean, more power to him (Trump) if he wants,” Lang said. “I just don't think it's going to change anything. There was a recount in 2016, and it only changed like a couple of hundred votes. So, I mean, if he wants to go through that process, he is more than welcome to. I just don't think it'll change the outcome of Wisconsin, unfortunately for him.”
Not Finished Yet
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Rev. Greg Lewis, executive director of Souls to the Polls and Pastors United, reminds the group to stick together even after this election.
Lang was one of the handful of speakers that spoke to the group that day. Another speaker among the group was Rev. Greg Lewis, executive director of Souls to the Polls and Pastors United. Like Lang, he’s worked to fight voter suppression and to increase voter turnout in Milwaukee. He reflected on the work that was done in order to lead up to this point.
“I'm not going to lie to you, it was hard,” Lewis said. “We had to stand up against all kinds of tyranny and people who didn't want us to be out there, but we were out there anyway. It was tough, but we still stood up.”
Lewis encouraged the group to continue to stick together. He didn’t want voters to lose their momentum after Biden’s win.
“We’re not finished yet, ya’ll,” Lewis said. “Everybody who voted, everybody who stood up, now we have to stand together. We have to build a voting bloc. We have to build cooperation with one another. We have to stay together.”
Looking Forward to “Truth, Honesty and Integrity” Again
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Milwaukee residents Jason Jentzsch and Nancy Peterson joined the group in Zeidler Union Square to celebrate the Biden-Harris win.
Milwaukee residents Nancy Peterson and Jason Jentzsch said that they were too overjoyed to celebrate Biden’s win at home. “I had to be part of the celebration because this is such a big election and it's so important to us and our future,” Peterson said.
Jentzsch said that he is looking forward to the end of “Trumpism.” “It's the beginning of truth, honesty and integrity in government again,” Jentzsch said. “He (Trump) came to change the government. There are things that need to be changed. But he wasn't the man to do it.”
Peterson explained that she hopes for action regarding climate change, racial equity and economic justice. Jentzsch added that he hopes Biden’s presidency helps America heal. “I think Biden is the man to do it because he has come from such a traumatic background that I feel he has the empathy and the integrity and the history and resilience to see what the American people need,” Jentzsch said.
Jentzsch also pointed out that he’s impressed by Milwaukee’s effort to get out the vote, especially during this election. “I would say that in my 60 plus years, I have never seen such a concerted effort by both sides to get out to vote,” Jentzsch said. “And I think people, hopefully for the first time, realize that their individual vote does matter, and that sitting back and saying, ‘Well, my vote doesn't matter,’ is no longer the case. I think people have come to realize that.”
Photo credit: Quinn Clark
Many drove by after the celebration with the Biden administration’s plans for “Good union jobs, healthcare, $15 minimum wage and racial justice” on their cars.
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