PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — State Rep. Joanna McClinton, the first Black woman to serve as speaker of the Pa. House, says her work as a Pennsylvania delegate to get Kamala Harris elected, holds enormous personal significance for her. "For me, that means more than time permits me to talk about," she said Monday at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
"My mother grew up in segregation in this country, in North Carolina. Her mother was a low-wage worker. My dad's mom never finished high school, was a low-wage worker, cleaning people's homes in North Carolina.
"It means that, for so long, women were never a part of the conversation — women of every color. When our Constitution was framed, women were not allowed to vote. Took 100+ years to get suffrage, and then, for women that looked like Vice President Harris and I to vote — even longer. It took legislation.
"So, it's progress. It's incredible. It's humbling. It's exciting. And it's also motivational — for how much work I have to put in over the next 76 days to make it happen."
In 2020, voter turnout in Philadelphia helped win the state for Joe Biden, and McClinton says Philadelphia has just as much to give the Harris-Walz campaign. And she hopes, if Harris beats Donald Trump in the November election, the city has much to gain. Primarily, she says, she hopes the new administration would make lasting investments in access to affordable housing, preserving infrastructure, and protecting the environment.
"On the ground, we see people being excited, people being informed, people thrilled to know that Kamala has stepped up and is getting energized and on fire," she said. "And people are trying to figure out: What can they do? How can they help? How can they get involved? It's almost like 2008 where people want to be a part of something brand new and exciting."
The outcome of the 2024 election will depend largely on the engagement of young people, McClinton said.
"For our youngest voters in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania: You can literally decide who will be in the White House over the next four to eight years. So, no pressure, but it's all on you. You have to get involved. You have to find out about the candidates — not only about their policy platforms for the future, but what have they done or not done already?" McClinton said.
"I think as young people feel that power of filling the void of the largest voting block in our nation, they're going to say, 'Hey, it's all up to us.'"