Women to Watch at the 2016 DNC
/With Hillary Clinton as the first female presumptive Democratic nominee, this year’s DNC is an exciting occasion for women! However, Hillary will not be the only notable lady speaking next week! Check out our list of women to watch at the DNC below!
First Lady Michelle Obama: The First Lady will be speaking the first night of the convention, with the theme of “United Together.” According to NPR, the convention’s opening night “will focus on putting the future of American families front and center and how we’re stronger together when we build an economy that works for everyone […] and when everyone has a chance to live up to their God-given potential.”
Astrid Silva: Silva, a DREAMer and immigration reform activist whose story was highlighted in an address by president Obama in November of 2014, will share the first night of festivities with First Lady Michelle Obama. According to NPR, “Silva will share her story and her fight to keep families together.”
Mothers of the Movement: Tuesday, the second night of the convention, is titled “A lifetime of fighting for children and families,” and will feature “Mothers of the Movement” as some of the key speakers. These mothers, including the mothers of Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Sandra Bland, “have children who’ve died from gun violence, at the hands of the police, or both. The women have served as powerful surrogates for Clinton in recent months, telling their stories in primary states and campaign stops all across the country,” according to The Atlantic.
Chelsea Clinton: On Thursday night, titled “Stronger Together” (a mantra you may remember from Hillary’s campaign stop with Elizabeth Warren), Chelsea will speak alongside her mother, Hillary, the presumptive Democratic nominee.
Hillary Clinton: On the final night of the convention, Hillary will finally take the stage with her daughter, Chelsea, and “will speak about her vision for the country—her belief that we are stronger together and that America is at its best when we work together to solve our problems," according to NPR.
Though the official schedule has not yet been released on the DNC website, four “Philadelphians who work in some form of child advocacy" are also set to speak at the convention next week, according to Philly.com. Two of of the Philadelphian speakers will be women: Kate Burdick, an attorney for the Juvenile Law Center in Philadelphia, a “non-profit organization that advocates for the rights of children in Pennsylvania, [primarily in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems,” and Dynah Haubert, “a lawyer with the Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania.”
Notably missing from this list of female speakers at the DNC is Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is currently in the running for Hillary Clinton’s Vice Presidential nomination. Does her absence mean an all-female ticket is coming our way? Let us know what you think in the comments below!