Cape Girardeau delegates reflect on historic DNC experience

Two Cape Girardeau residents, Brock Freeman and the Rev. Geneva Allen-Patterson, represented Missouri’s 8th Congressional District at last week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Freeman, a graduate student at Southeast Missouri State University and founder of the College Democrats group, and Allen-Patterson, pastor at St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church, were elected as the representatives of Cape Girardeau County at a party meeting in March. In July, the pair traveled to another party meeting, this time for the 8th Congressional istrict, in Patterson, where they each made their case and were chosen as delegates for the convention.

“I had never heard of Patterson, Missouri,” Allen-Patterson said. “Since my last name is Patterson, I thought they were messing with me.”

Two men and two women were chosen to represent the district at the DNC and traveled to Chicago to spend the week listening to speeches, networking and casting a vote to nominate Kamala Harris as the party’s presidential nominee.

Allen-Patterson was initially afraid she wouldn’t be able to go because of financial restrictions but said the county and district party, as well as members of the Cape Girardeau community, helped provide funding for the trip.

“I want to thank the whole Cape Girardeau district, the whole community and Congressional District 8 for providing the funds so that Brock and I could go,” she said.

Both Freeman and Allen-Patterson described the atmosphere at the convention as “electric”.

“(The energy) was something you could feel, you could see and that we got to experience day in and day out,” Freeman said.

Each morning began with breakfast, where members of the delegation would receive their daily passes. During the meal, some of the more influential members of the party would come to speak to the delegates. Speakers included former U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina. Throughout the week, the pair could attend various caucus meetings and presentations to “reflect on the last four years and look ahead.”

The main programming was the “highlight of the convention.” From 5:30 to 10 p.m., delegates gathered in the United Center to listen to speeches and presentations from several speakers throughout the four-day convention, including President Joe Biden, former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and John Legend.

As an African American woman, Allen-Patterson said having the opportunity to vote for Harris as the presidential nominee was “meaningful.” She referenced a famous quote by civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer who, at a rally in December 1964, said, “All my life I've been sick and tired. Now I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

“For me to be able, in 2024, to say, ‘Not only do we not have to be sick and tired of being sick and tired, we're not going back,’” Allen-Patterson said. “That’s the thing, we're not going back to that time and place. We have the freedom now to have, as a candidate, a black woman, and it was just so meaningful to be seated in there and be a part of that history.”

Freeman described having the opportunity to cast his vote for the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee as “empowering”.

“I was proud to be able to cast my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to be our next president and vice president,” Freeman said. "There are Democrats down here, although, electorally, it's a different situation. There are folks down here that need to be represented, that and here and are doing the work. As much as we may not have electoral power, we have a community of folks that ought to be able to have their voice heard, especially on the national stage.”