Over 250 people came together on the evening of Tuesday, November 5, 2024, to be in community with one another to watch the Presidential Election results. This historic event was graciously hosted in partnership with the Black Education: Faith, Race, and Educational Equity (BE: FREE) Research Project and Harlem Stage, a North Star for the global community of activists, artists, and creatives who have worked to amplify Global Majority voices on as well as off the stage for nearly 41-years.
Harlem Stage, a nonprofit devoted to inspiring world-class, innovative works by artists of the Global Majority to ignite artistic freedom, was the perfect venue to host the over 250 voters and future voters for the highly anticipated Election Night Watch Party. Food, drinks, music spinning by beloved DJ Stormin’ Norman, and community fellowship flowed freely. Dr. Indira Etwaroo, Harlem Stage’s new CEO and Artistic Director, members of her team, and Rev. Dr. Derrick Harkins, a prominent faith leader and Senior Advisor in Raben’s Culture, Strategy, and Organizational Design practice area for the powerful DC-based consulting group shared brief remarks and welcome. Award-winning comedienne LeighAnn Lord served as the Election Watch Night Party host, providing much-welcomed comic relief throughout the evening.
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The Election Watch Night Party can be considered as the culmination of the recently launched Faith, Education, and Civic Engagement Conversation Series led by Dr. Phillip A. Smith, Assistant Professor in Fordham University’s Graduate School of Education and the founder of The Black Education: Faith, Race, and Educational Equity (BE: FREE) Research Project Initiative. BE: FREE explores the intersections of community, race, faith, equity in education, and civic engagement as part of Black educational leadership, showcasing innovative, culturally rich educational practices, leadership, critical conversations, and community engagement, towards sustained outcomes for students, schools, and communities.
Many Harlem residents and pillars of the community were in attendance on election night in addition to many other prominent faith and academic leaders such as Rev. Dr. Rashad Raymond Moore of First Baptist Church of Crown Heights, Brooklyn; Rev. Dr. S. Raschaad Hoggard, Executive Chief of Staff to the President at Borough of Manhattan Community College; Rev. Dr. James A. Kilgore, Senior Pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Harlem; Rev. Dr. Malcolm J. Byrd, Pastor of Mother AME (African Methodist Episcopal) Zion Church in Harlem; along with Civil Rights icon and faith leader Rev. Dr. C. Vernon Mason. Award-winning opera singer J’Nai Bridges, globally renowned opera singer Karmesha Peake, and celebrated vocalist, composer, arranger, as well as recording artist C. Anthony Bryant were also in attendance, as well as many other guests and community members.
No one could have imagined an Election Night Watch Party would end up being the materialization of the work Dr. Smith, along with friends and colleagues Rev. Dr. Hoggard, Rev. Dr. Harkins, Rev. Dr. Moore, Rev. Dr. Eboni Marshall, Associate Justice Tanya A. Kennedy, Schomburg Center for Research in Culture Director Joy Bivins, Africa Owes, attorney, and Broadway Women’s Fund Manager Jamila Ponton Braggbegan to put together in August of this year. Collectively, these leaders within the community were interested in engaging in and being engaged with others to discuss the intersectional nature of faith, race, and civic engagement which led to a conversation series aimed specifically at addressing the political needs and interests of Black people to mobilize Black people to work as a community to do something to positively contribute to our collective success as Black people.
This series occurred within one of this nation’s most divisive sociopolitical landscapes, as a result, we had two incredible panel conversations centered on civic engagement leading up to the presidential election. The tenor of the conversations shifted from a conversation about intersectionality to one more focused on our collective duties as people of Faith to represent our interests as Black people through Civic Engagement. Our notable speakers encouraged all of us to be present in the political process and to encourage others to also be present and participate. Community discourse as evidenced by the questions posed by the audience suggested many understood the critical importance of how and why racially underrepresented communities need to be energized and motivated as part of the election process, nationally and locally.
In response to this need, the Pi Kappa Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. provided an on-site voter education and registration drive at the end of each Conversation Series held at the Fordham University, Lincoln Center campus as a separate initiative. They spoke with several students interested in voting in the current presidential election, but unsure how to go about the process for submitting absentee ballots. Members of the sorority also helped participants locate their local polling places for the upcoming election.
“My hope has always been to be in community with Black people to mobilize and organize ourselves to ensure our interests are at the forefront of what we do and advocate for. Honestly, I could not imagine that a part of organizing as a community would be to create space for all of us to be together and watch the Presidential Election, but it all makes sense given the history of voting in this country. The right to vote was fought for by Black people, organized in Black churches and institutions of education, and won through many sacrifices. Black people died in this country to earn the right to vote.
“Once Vice President Harris was announced as the Democratic nominee, something shifted in the audience engagement and response to our conversations. There was such momentum and interest in being together throughout the election season. Our community wanted to know how they could become more active and what could be done to engage a much younger audience in the conversation. We knew the importance of being together as witnesses to find all that we’d been discussing unfold,” says Dr. Smith. “We are grateful to Harlem Stage and Dr. Etwaroo for opening their doors and allowing us to be in community with one another on such a consequential occasion. We also want to extend a special thank you to Gilda Squire, Squire Media Management, Inc. who works tirelessly to make such events and collaborations a reality and a success.
As the evening wore on, looks of concern naturally began to replace the earlier jubilant smiles and laughter. By the end of the night, as watch party attendees prepared to leave, Dr. Smith considered what was next. The people who attended the conversation series panels had been engaged and motivated, just as he’d hoped. However, he began to think about what those next steps looked like for many people in the wake of deep despair and fear about our collective futures. “I am remaining hopeful, we will come back together to continue this journey,” says a resilient Dr. Smith. “Our work continues. We must continue to work to secure the futures of the many generations that will come after us. We are a village and it takes a village to do what needs to be done.”
Rev. Moore agreed with Dr. Smith. “When I think about the members of my congregation at First Baptist Church of Crown Heights, I am equally concerned about what is to come for our local elections. It is important for us all to recognize that we have work to do on a national level, but I know intimately how much work we must do right here in our own communities. And the only way to begin to deal with what we’re facing is to use our voices – and our votes – to elect leaders, and hold them accountable, to play an active role in bringing about change. In order to do this, we must stay informed, and we must be engaged.”
BE: FREE is at the beginning of creating foundations for great futures. Dr. Smith is committed to securing the proper funding and sponsorship to continue the work and advocacy of BE: FREE programming for 2025 and beyond. He is actively looking for donors. Dr. Smith concludes, “I look forward to what we are able to accomplish together. We have been gifted a glorious opportunity to consider Black [educational] leadership as we look to rely on our faith, community, and civic engagement. For I know our steps are ordered and all good things happen for the good of those who believe.”
