Crowd welcomes Harris’ hometown campaign office
‘Oakland is my heart,’ Democratic presidential candidate tells backers
OAKLAND » Outside a former Grand Avenue restaurant turned newly minted presidential campaign headquarters, Shelia and Clovetta Mack stood ready to serve.
“I’m here to support Kamala Harris, our next president of the United States,” said Shelia Mack, 67. “I’m here to hear some of the wishes she’s going to focus on. I’m here to make sure my presence is known to her and the community, that we’re here to work.”
Local politicians introduced Harris to a boisterous crowd that filled the courtyard on Grand Avenue on Sunday afternoon. They snacked on chicken and waffles and shimmied shoulders to the DJ-spun sounds of Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé and Elvis Crespo.
Shelia Mack said she was drawn to the opening not only by the promise of a potentially transformative nominee, but also by history and place.
“She knows education is a focus point, community,
homelessness, all these issues, she can relate to them because she’s from Oakland. You have to be from Oakland to really know about Oakland,” she said.
“We don’t just want to say that someone was elected and we weren’t instrumental in trying to get our candidate elected,” added Clovetta Mack.
“I attended Allen Temple Church. When I was 18, one of the older members of the church says, ‘Is today your birthday?’ and I said, ‘Yes, I’m 18.’” she recalled. “That member said, ‘Tomorrow, I expect you to register to vote.’ I’ve voted in every election.”
Oakland City Councilwoman Lynette Gibson McElhaney said she found the headquarters’ opening to be significant and timely.
“Here, there is deep commitment to social justice and economic equity, and we are not afraid to support women in leadership, women who can lead our nation at this critical time,” McElhaney said.
“I mean, the quintessential question is, are we going to have a democracy that includes all of us and in that way for the greater good of all humanity? I think it is the obligation of conscious people who believe in liberty and justice for all. If that is the truth, now is the time to speak up.”
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and Congresswoman Barbara Lee also praised Harris’ run and impact on the national stage, placing it in context of last week’s decision by Democratic leadership to pursue an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.
“It’s not just Kamala who needs us to come here and (volunteer), it is the United States of America,” Schaaf said. “We are not about to let some racist-in-chief allow foreign powers to steal our democracy.”
Lee agreed: “Can you imagine her on the debate stage, taking it to him? So yeah, her prosecutorial skills are going to come in so handy in this race. We need the total opposite of this man in the White House.”
Harris took the stage to applause before speaking to the crowd about her pleasure at being back in Oakland and building a case for the nomination before early voting in California begins in March — “right around the same time as the Iowa caucuses.”
“Oakland is my heart. You know, I was born just up the street at Kaiser, and Oakland really does represent the promise of America,” Harris said. “So much of our campaign is about what I learned and grew up knowing in terms of the beauty of this beautiful city.”