BWW Blog: Broadway for Biden and Beyond

If you know me, you know I'm a politics minor first, musical theatre major second. Growing up in DC allowed me to spread my political wings and attend protests and really develop my views and beliefs as a woman and a Democrat. My backyard was the capital of the country. While most school field trips went to a local zoo, Maryland public schools went to DC to visit the US Capitol. My political brain thrived. When I moved to New York, I was still that incredibly political persona but I never thought I would look back at that city. I was in New York! Why would I want to be in DC!

The first moment since I moved back to New York where I found myself missing the Capitol was a Friday that shook me to my core. Friday the 18th, I got a call from my mom and she told me she had to tell me something. She wanted me to hear it from her, that RBG had passed away. I fell to the floor hysterically crying and didn't stop for the rest of the night. I was angry, I was scared and I wanted more than anything to be on the steps of the Supreme Court building. The next day I woke up and while my mom and sister took a visit to DC, I had other plans in mind. There is a portrait of RBG in the window of a dish store named "Fish Eddy's". I remembered this picture and made a few signs. I traveled with my friend to the window and put down a sign that simply said "When There Are Nine". It was my favorite quote of hers and I just cried. (On that Sunday, a picture of it was in the New York Times!) I hiked my way downtown to the New York Supreme Court building where I left another sign that said "this wasn't her court, but she told me it could be mine". I hung it on the guardrail and left in tears. And then I got myself some ice cream.

I was so lost and scared and confused and just not in a good headspace. I wanted to do something, I needed to do something. I remembered a few weeks ago, my good friend Anne Nathan reached out wanting me to do something with "Uni for Biden" as part of the group "Broadway for Biden". We started texting and I had a video that would soon be posted on the Instagram page. I signed up for phone banking events with the group and with other organizations. Mini shoutout to my bud Erika Henningsen for supplying the best resources on her Instagram. I was motivated, I had to take action.

A little over a week later, I've phone banked at 4 different events and called over 115 people to see if they are registered to vote and if they plan on voting blue this election. There have definitely been some not so nice people saying not so nice things over the phone, but there were some really special calls in between all of the hangups. There was one man in his mid 20s and we ended up talking for almost 25 minutes because he was an undecided voter. We talked and I was a springboard for this guy for a lot of the time. I really do think he just needed someone to talk to about everything. I really think/hope I swung his vote towards Biden at the end of the call.

Phone banking is exhausting. It is not for everyone. As someone with high anxiety, talking on the phone started out as my worst nightmare. But practice and repetition really has helped make every call smoother. I feel like I am really making a difference and am doing everything I can to win this election for Joe and Kamala. I got my first ballot in the mail today and can I just say, I nearly screamed with joy when it arrived. At the end of the day, I am doing everything I can. When it comes down to it, I will know that. I strongly suggest that people look into Broadway for Biden and Knock for Democracy and countless other organizations. It is so easy and it works.

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