Much has been written about the joy and hope that lit up the Democratic National Convention, but little has been done to connect the celebrations in Chicago to a basic human need that the speeches, the music and, yes, the “vibe” evoked in us.
One of our most basic desires as social beings is to belong, especially to a community. Community is “our survival,” wrote Francis Moore Lappe, author of Democracy’s Edge. “It is not a luxury, not a nice-to-have; community is essential to our well-being.”
In Vice President Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech for her nomination, themes repeatedly emerged that addressed the Americans’ longing to experience their country as a country of “common unity”:
I see an America where we hold fast to the fearless faith on which our nation was built…An America where we care for one another, look out for one another, and recognize that we have so much more in common than what divides us.
She struck this parallel tone:
This election offers our country a precious, fleeting opportunity to put the divisive battles of the past behind us and forge a new path forward. Not as members of a party or faction. But as Americans.
Note the duality here: The vice president was pushing for a path forward that revives a time still fresh in memory—the “fearless convictions” of the pre-Trump era. At the convention, that echo was heard when Barack Obama took up the crowd’s chant, “Yes, SHE can,” reminding us of the powerful meme at the election of ’44: “Si, se puede… Yes, WE can.”
The “WE” remains the powerful message of community. Sticking together with family, neighbors, and fellow Americans is important to both our personal and national well-being. In recent years, we have seen the opposite effects that can come from invasive nature or our adversaries’ attempts to weaken us.
As for nature, the 2020-2022 pandemic exacted a terrible human cost by isolating us from one another. As writer Jade Warner put it in November 2022, “the loss of our ability to interact and socialize freely” took a heavy toll, because “belonging to a community, being able to connect with others, and building authentic relationships are all crucial parts of being human.”
As for our opponents, we remember how Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump’s hero and foreign meddler in our elections, fueled division. When he unleashed Russian troll farms and bots on voters in 2016, he sought not only to help Trump get elected, but also to “sow discord” and “spread distrust,” as evidenced by special counsel Robert S. Mueller’s indictment of 13 Russian intelligence agents. Russian state media continues to “reinforce political divisions” in the United States today. He understands that a house divided cannot stand.
Likewise, Trump’s ongoing message is that what divides us is far more important than what we have in common. (Note the mirror image of the vice president’s theme.) One need only look at the former president’s obviously rehearsed “shock statement” to the National Association of Black Journalists on July 31 that Kamala Harris had only recently “turned black.” For whites, that statement was aimed at portraying her as “other.” For Indian-Americans and black voters, that statement was aimed at separating her ethnic identity from theirs.
Kamala Harris knew exactly what Trump was up to. That night, she urged him: “We deserve a leader who understands that our differences do not divide us – they are an essential source of our strength.”
This message is consistent with the evolutionary history of our DNA. Neurologist and psychologist Dr. Stephen Braren described it as follows:
Humanity has survived for thousands of years thanks to its ability to socialize, communicate, and cooperate. … People were stronger and safer in groups. … Group bonding allowed for the growth of the extended family and the ability to help each other in raising and rearing children, which promoted survival.
It takes a village.
No one should confuse the resonance of the vice president’s message with an election already won. As Peter Baker just reminded us in the New York Times, “History is full of presidential candidates who mobilized their supporters at party conventions only to fail in November.” A presidential campaign is won on the ground by real volunteers who will get voters to the polls in the coming weeks.
Yet Kamala Harris’ convention has wisely and skillfully planted invigorating joy and hope into the solid soil of our human need for unity – especially after a catastrophic pandemic like COVID has turned the world upside down. There is more than just dynamism in this planting. It has power.
Read more
on this topic
