The Philadelphia area was well-represented on Night 2.
Dr. Jill Biden — the former second lady of the United States, who would become the next first lady if her husband is elected — closed out the evening.
The Willow Grove-raised teacher spoke in the same Brandywine High School classroom in Wilmington, Delaware, where she once taught English. A classroom, she noted, that’s like many across the country right now: quiet, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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“As a mother and a grandmother, as an American, I am heartbroken by the magnitude of this loss, by the failure to protect our communities, by every precious and irreplaceable life gone,” she said. “Like so many of you, I’m left asking: How do I keep my family safe?”
She spoke of her husband’s character and his ability to tackle tragedy and move forward, much like what our wounded nation is trying to do now.
“I’m Jill Biden’s husband,” the presidential nominee said into the camera. He then praised her as “the strongest person I know.”
Earlier in the evening, the keynote address was presented in a video package with 17 young and diverse leaders of the Democratic Party, including two lawmakers from the Philadelphia region.
Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, 30, was critical of the Trump administration’s handling of the pandemic.
“When doctors, nurses and home health care aides in Philadelphia have to risk their own lives to protect others because there’s not enough protective equipment,” he said.
Kenyatta, the first openly LGBTQ person of color to serve in Pennsylvania’s General Assembly,
also praised Biden for his personal support.
“When I wanted to marry the man I loved, Joe Biden was the first national figure to support me and my family,” he said.
“He’ll build an economy that rewards work, not wealth,” Boyle said, “and get rid of the Trump tax cuts that only benefit big corporations and the rich.”
On the third night of the DNC, Sen. Kamala Harris will formally accept the nomination for vice president. Former President Barack Obama will also speak.