Photo: Mark Mulligan/Houston Chronicle Staff photographer
“Honk for 270!”
When CNN announced Joe Biden had crossed the 270-electoral college vote mark needed to secure the presidency, Terrance Koontz elatedly shouted at Saturday’s “Voters Decide: Count Every Vote” rally in Southwest Houston.
“Let’s let that ride a little bit. This is awesome news, y’all,” said Koontz, an activist with the Texas Organizing Project. “I’m going to get a shirt with 270 on it.”
Several events in Houston that were originally scheduled to encourage the protection of a fair election turned into last-minute celebration parties when Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris were declared the winners of the 2020 presidential election. Or, in other cases, turned into rallies for President Donald Trump.
Local community leaders, including newly-elected Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth and District Attorney Christian Menefee, thanked grassroots community organizers for doing the work necessary to make sure everyone’s voice was heard this year. Community organizations like Texas Organizing Project, Texas Rising, Indivisible Houston, and Houston Black American Democrats planned the drive-in rally in the parking lot of Fountain Life Center as a way to drum up support while remaining socially distant.
Rapper Genesis Blu kicked off the rally with one phrase: “Every vote counts, power to the people.”
“This year shows you that your vote counts, but you have to do it over and over,” Genesis Blu said. “We have to be the change. We need to show up and show out, not just for presidential elections either. When we do that, it looks kind of good for us.”
I was out and about with my daughters on Saturday, and was uncharacteristically not-online when the news of The Call happened. My girls, who had been following it all at least as closely as I have – you haven’t lived till you’ve been informed of a group text of 13-year-old girls discussing the election results – were the ones to tell me when it happened. When we got back home, there was a group of people on the esplanade near our house having drinks and just chilling. Meanwhile, my wife had come back from another celebration to which she had contributed (and helped consume) two bottles of champagne. So what I’m saying is, Saturday was a good day. More reactions are here> and here. How did you celebrate?
I couldn’t celebrate in any sort of in person way, so it was texting memes for the occasion back and forth amount friends. The Gritty and Count von Count memes are especially funny. Then I watched the speeches by Biden and Harris last night. They both quickly said something that was very important to me- that it was time to stop ignoring science. I consider my vote for them to be the best one I ever cast, even though it only runs up the popular vote total.
I was at work when my wife texted me with the news.
Later, Ben & Jerry’s “Americone Dream” ice cream with the family watching Biden and Harris’ speeches last night. Then a celebratory IPA.