Hershel Hartford, president of UA-Fayetteville Education Association / Local 965, was elected a delegate to the 2024 Democratic National Convention by the Arkansas Democratic Party. As he posts these reflections, this log will be updated.
Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 20
After a great welcome at the Navy Pier by the city of Chicago, I was reminded about community, specifically the quote by Rabbi Joachim Prinz that I reposted the other day: “Neighbor is not a geographical term, it is a moral concept.” I have spent two days talking, sharing and observing a myriad of people from across this country.
Sunday night when I was in line to catch the shuttle back to our hotels, I was party to conversation between an entrepreneur from Pennsylvania, a union organizer from California, a farmer from Iowa, a college student from Arizona and a retiree from Mississippi. We were strangers from different places, backgrounds, incomes, races, genders and economic circumstances. We bring different challenges in our lives, and yet we spent an hour or so together.
We talked about our lives, our families, our states and so much more. Along the way there were common bonds and policies and subjects on which differences of opinion were discovered. No one was forced to join in, we all chose to join this discussion. We talked and laughed and debated, sometimes vehemently, but when we parted ways that night we parted friends each having a little insight in to the lives of our new neighbors.
Conventions are like that — intentional communities that benefit from the input of person, none individually more important than the other, but each vastly important to the whole.
Noon Sunday, Aug. 18
Currently aboard Amtrak’s Texas Eagle with service from San Antonio to Chicago. I boarded the train in St Louis on my journey to the Democratic National Convention. Many of my fellow passengers are headed there as well. I am excited to participate in this convention, to advocate, learn and share in part of the political process through which our countries leaders are chosen. As we waited in the station there was lively discussion regarding candidates, policies and even strategy.
Just in this short journey we see concrete jungles and wide open fields, cities, suburbs, farms and small towns just some of the variety of areas and people that make up our country. I am also aware as we are traveling how interconnected these various landscapes are, despite the differences and, while none of these areas are perfect and all of them have their challenges and issues, they are a mosaic that inspires in me hope.
The hope that we might recognize that it is when we come together and really look beyond ourselves, we can recognize the amazing possibilities when we work together.
UA-Fayetteville Education Association 