The call was thundering: “If you don’t vote, you don’t count. If you’re not trying to solve the problem, you are a part of the problem.”
So opened the Oct. 19 “Get Out and Vote” rally, where more than 200 union workers, Democratic candidates and community members filled the parking lot of Local Union 332 to encourage North Philadelphians to vote Nov. 6.
Malcolm Kenyatta was one in a sea of orange hoodies with the message: “When laborers vote, laborers win.” Congressmen Robert Brady and Dwight Evans, state Sen. Sharif Street, former Gov. Ed Rendell and Gov. Tom Wolf were among those who delivered energetic speeches at the rally, prompting the crowd to cheer. Kenyatta didn’t make a speech, but he stood alongside local leaders and union members for two hours cheering on the others.
It was Kenyatta’s second stop of the morning, which jumpstarted a jam-packed day of campaigning for his bid to become the state representative for the 181st District. Prior to the rally, he rallied his campaign team to talk to as many residents of the Cecil B. Moore neighborhood as possible that day.
“We still have an opponent who wants to win, so we have to work to make sure that we’re reaching every person in the district,” Kenyatta told to his team.
He also reminded the volunteers that, with less than three weeks to the general election, it was especially important to connect with many voters.
Kenyatta is running against Republican T. Milton Street to fill the 181st seat held since 1989 by Rep. W. Curtis Thomas, who is retiring. The district covers North and North Central Philadelphia, West Poplar, Glenwood, Francisville, Northern Liberties, Hunting Park, Feltonville and Kensington.
Kenyatta noted that as one of the nearly 250 LGBTQ candidates running for office at all levels of government across the country, he’s advocating for the community as well as other marginalized populations.
“When you’re queer and you’re black and you know what it’s like to be marginalized from a variety of different perspectives, you’re more empathetic and you think of how public policy affects people. When I talk about issues around poor people, that’s an LGBT issue. The last transgender study that came out said that trans people are making an average of $10,000 a year,” Kenyatta said. “I’m from North Philly and I say that proudly. Think about all of the people who could be our next great ‘something,’ but their opportunities were stifled by somebody’s hatefulness because of who they are, who they love or what neighborhood they’re from.”
After the rally, Kenyatta was on the road to a small suburban town 30 minutes outside the city. He arrived in Morton, a borough in Delaware County with close to 3,000 residents, to support Democratic candidate Jennifer O’Mara, who’s running in the 165th legislative District. Kenyatta exchanged his orange hoodie for the shamrock-green O’Mara campaign shirt at her headquarters in a strip mall, and the two set out on foot to talk to residents. She’s running against Republican incumbent Alexander Charlton, who has held the seat for one year. In recent months, Kenyatta has spent nearly every weekend canvassing for Democratic candidates in the Greater Philadelphia area to build a progressive political coalition.
“I will go anywhere and talk to anybody about how what we do in Harrisburg matters and affects people’s lives. You need 103 votes in the House and 23 votes in the Senate to get legislation passed. You don’t do this alone,” he said.
Kenyatta and O’Mara walked through a quiet neighborhood in Morton, knocking on doors and wedging “Sorry we missed you” notes in doors that went unanswered.
The duo greeted a father and his two daughters as they were making their Halloween costumes on their porch. O’Mara introduced herself and explained what she wants to do for Delaware County if elected.
“She’s the representative you need,” Kenyatta told them. He wished the girls luck on their “Adventure Time” costumes they were making and the two moved on to the next house.
There, a resident named Anthony said he never had any elected officials come to his door and ask what was important to him. O’Mara encouraged Anthony to vote and directed him to her phone number and email address if he needed a ride to the polls.
Meanwhile, a man who was playing with his children at the newly renovated park across the street told the pair about how he wanted more community spaces for his kids. Kenyatta mentioned that he was running for state representative in Philadelphia and that he spoke with many parents who wanted the same thing.
“No matter where you go, most of the issues are the same. It’s not enough for only me to win. We need all Democrats statewide to win,” Kenyatta said. “I’m encouraging every voter to vote Democrat down the ballot because we need every single one of them in Harrisburg fighting to create better parks, fair funding for education, healthcare reform and the myriad of other issues that are important to Pennsylvanians.”