I've told the story before, but it bears repeating in the context of the 2024 Democratic National Convention. I attended the Democrats' convention in 2008 and it was a pretty ecstatic atmosphere. The party was set to nominate the first Black candidate for president and his very close primary competitor, Hillary Clinton, was the first woman to make a serious run for it. There had been plenty of bad blood during the primary and there were still some raw feelings that needed to be dealt with before the full celebration could begin. It was up to Clinton to heal the breach and it wasn't going to be easy.

On the night Clinton was to give her big endorsement speech, I stood next to a group of young Black women who were clearly skeptical of her and were big fans of Barack Obama. They were not expecting much. But her speech was exceptional and by the end of it the women I was watching were cheering along with Clinton's supporters whom she had thanked profusely but also pointedly asked, "were you in it for me or were you in it for the country?" She wound it up by exhorting everyone to put their efforts into electing Barack Obama:

This is the story of America. Of women and men who defy the odds and never give up. How do we give this country back to them? By following the example of a brave New Yorker, a woman who risked her life to shepherd slaves along the Underground Railroad.

And on that path to freedom, Harriett Tubman had one piece of advice. If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going.If they're shouting after you, keep going.........

© Salon