Milwaukee needs to feel the power of the Democratic dollar during 2020 convention

The Democratic National convention is rediscovering its Midwestern roots by siting the 2020 Democratic convention in Milwaukee, Wis. Though the event is destined to generate significant sums for the city, it will be a travesty if this multimillion-dollar, three-day event does not translate to real economic benefits to Milwaukee’s men and women of color.

The selection of Milwaukee reflects an important message for the Democratic Party and holds vast potential economic returns for the city. But, let’s be clear, when the political promises are all said and done; when the placards are packed away and the crowds are gone, the convention needs to have worked for the predominantly minority and working-class families that reside in the city of Milwaukee. 

{mosads}A handful of cities competed vigorously for the July convention, where over 30,000 delegates, journalists and enthusiasts will gather to nominate a presidential and vice-presidential leader. By hosting this shindig in the heartland, Democrats are hoping to send a clear signal that they understand the needs of working families. 

In fact, Democratic Party Chairman Tom Perez said it plainly, “This choice is a statement of our values. The Democratic Party is the party of working people, and Milwaukee is a city of working people.” Of course, it is no coincidence that Milwaukee is the largest city in 10-electoral-vote Wisconsin, a state the Dems lost to Trump in 2016.

Hosting the convention in Milwaukee enables the Democratic Party to reaffirm, in principle, their understanding of a white working class Middle America that defected to the Republican Party. 

While the state of Wisconsin is overwhelmingly white (87.3 percent), the city of Milwaukee is majority African-American (39 percent) with a significant Hispanic population (18 percent). Poverty in the region is stark and segregated by race. In fact, a recent Brookings Institution report finds Milwaukee to be the most racially segregated metro area in the United States. African Americans living in Milwaukee make half the median income of their white counterparts. 

The typical black household in Milwaukee earns $27,834 a year, compared to the white median household income of $65,568. The tech and knowledge economy — a major driver of income, productivity and wealth building in our country — has not taken hold sufficiently in Milwaukee. And working families are at risk of displacement to automation.

To be sure, the convention is unlikely to stimulate a pipeline to a new tech industry or produce a long-term family-sustaining job sector. However, contracts for construction, events, transportation and merchandising and other vendor opportunities are certain to be doled out.

The final local economic impact of the 2012 Charlotte Democratic National Convention was $163 million, and that was a conservative impact analysis that only counted dollars that stayed in the local economy. If the 2016 Philadelphia convention is any indicator, Milwaukee and the surrounding region can expect to generate well over $230 million, including spending by an estimated 50,000 visitors to the city and suburbs, with huge boons to the hotel industry. The Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) must thoughtfully engage local minority entrepreneurs to take advantage of this prosperity. There is no excuse for anything less from the party that brand itself as the party of inclusion and a champion of an economy that grows incomes for working people.  

The problem: the Democratic National Committee (DNC) leaves much to be desired when it comes to spending with minority-owned business contractors. According to BuzzFeed News analysis, 17.6 percent of DNC contract spending went to minority-owned businesses over the last year — including just 6.4 percent to black-owned businesses and 4.3 percent to Latino-owned businesses. So in order for the convention to stimulate high-quality opportunities for minority-owned businesses, even in short-term opportunities, the DNCC must be intentional and engage local residents with the goal of bolstering employment and personal income.

The 2016 Philadelphia convention model of engagement worked relatively well. The committee hired a local director of diversity and community engagement more than a year before the convention. The host committee convened a series of outreach meetings with local partners to ensure the recruitment and engagement of diverse vendors and suppliers. This should easily be a starting point for Milwaukee.

A proactive convention engagement plan must be certain to encourage spend in nearby neighborhoods. The greater Milwaukee community is working diligently toward stronger economic integration and coordination across neighborhoods. The influx of Democratic visitors should be supported in efforts to spread beyond the Milwaukee core to the surrounding suburbs in the region. But at the end of the day, the Party of inclusion must include people of color in the economic planning for this, the biggest party of the election cycle. 

Alaina Beverly is Democratic strategist. She served as the White House associate director of urban affairs during the Obama administration, and national deputy director for African-American outreach for the 2008 Obama for America Campaign.