What Went Down On The First Night Of The Democratic National Convention

We’ve got our first musical performance of the night featuring Leon Bridges!

Emcee Eva Longoria said the convention tonight will focus on three issues: the pandemic, the economic downturn and ongoing systemic racial injustice. I feel pretty confident that the GOP convention next week won’t be focused on these issues. If the platform is any guide, we know this is at least somewhat correct; Democrats lead off with COVID-19 protection and relief, while the Republicans are reusing their 2016 platform in full.

One of the themes of the night is racial justice. Milwaukee would have been a particularly notable setting for this theme. Wisconsin has the highest rate of Black male incarceration in the country and in Milwaukee in particular, 50 percent of Black men in their 30s have been incarcerated.