Emphasis on diversity in Democratic convention lineup

Party leaders are placing an emphasis on diversity as they announce more speakers for the Democratic National Convention next week. 

{mosads}Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), the first Muslim elected to Congress, will speak on Monday evening, the first night of the gathering in Philadelphia.

Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) and members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Judy Chu and members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and LGBT rights activist Sarah McBride, who will also be the first transgender speaker to address a major party convention, will speak over the course of the week.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the women of the House, and Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and the Democratic women of the Senate will also take the stage Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.  

“You’ll see the kind of diversity that is not reflected here at the Republican National Convention,” Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), chairwoman of the party, said last week.

Wasserman Schultz will have a diminished role at the convention and announced Sunday she would resign her post as Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairwoman at its conclusion. 

They join the headline speakers, which include first lady Michelle Obama, President Obama, Vice President Biden and former President Bill Clinton. 

The Republican National Convention last week was criticized for its lack of diversity. A Politico analysis found that of the 71 prime-time speakers, 80 percent were white. Only seven were black and three were Latino. 

Here is the rest of the Democrats’ lineup: 

Monday

Rep. Raúl Grijalva (Ariz.)
Iowa state Sen. Mike Gronstal and candidates of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee
SEIU President Mary Kay Henry
Rep. Joseph Kennedy (Mass.)
Chairman of the Democratic Governors Association Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy
Building Trades President Sean McGarvey
Sen. Jeff Merkley (Ore.)
AFSCME President Lee Saunders
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten

Tuesday, July 26
Democratic National Committee Vice Chair of Voter Registration and Participation Donna Brazile
Former State Sen. Jason Carter (Ga.)
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and the Democratic women of the House
Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Cecile Richards

Wednesday, July 27
Rep. G.K. Butterfield (N.C) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus
NARAL President Ilyse Hogue
Retired Rear Adm. John Hutson
Civil Rights leader Jesse Jackson
Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (N.M.) and candidates of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Former Rep. and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta (Calif.)
Former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey
EMILY’s List President Stephanie Schriock
Center for American Progress Action Fund President Neera Tanden

Thursday, July 28
Retired Army Gen. John Allen 
Candidates of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
President of the Human Rights Campaign Chad Griffin
League of Conservation Voters President Gene Karpinski
Co-Chairman of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (N.Y.)