By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
Sophia Danenberg, Washington Democratic party delegate and the first Black woman to climb Mount Everest, is channeling her trailblazing spirit into democratic politics. As a recently elected member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Danenberg is focused on engaging young voters and emphasizing the critical stakes of the upcoming presidential election.
Before her election last year as a member of the DNC, Danenberg served as a member of the Washington State Central Committee. Her interest in understanding the party dynamics and making voting accessible to everyone motivated her to get involved with the Democratic Party.
“I am here for the Democrats, period,” says Danenberg. “I do roles and policy for a living, and so I really want to help people in the party feel comfortable in the process and be able to understand the rules. That is what I felt like I could do on the DNC, and I did not realize that it was going to be quite the year for rules.”
Stephen Reed, Washington State Democrats’ Director of Communications, says that the DNC is a community built on passion, integrity, and leadership. He expressed that there is a place for everyone who joins to get involved in the political process.
“I think party politics can definitely seem like a clique atmosphere where everyone knows everyone and everything, but that is not the case,” says Reed. “Our doors are open for everyone who wants to learn and be involved.”
With all the debate and controversy surrounding the upcoming presidential election, Danenberg emphasizes the importance of energizing young voters.
Danenberg recalls watching first-time voters wait in the rain just to be able to say they had voted for the first Black president, win or lose. Inspired by that spirit, she hopes to inspire a similar level of engagement and enthusiasm in Gen Z voters.
“The importance of first-time and young voters was proven in 2008 during the election of former President Barack Obama, which is when I really got involved in politics,” says Danenberg.
“Communities can make a change, and Gen Z is very much community-oriented. We want young people to see that and feel like they can be a part of this community to make a change,” she added. “The younger generations can change this election because their vote creates other votes that are cast by their friends.”
When we look and see what is going on around the world and what former President Donald Trump has said he will do if re-elected, Danenberg says that she is concerned about the potential consequences if he is re-elected.
“He [Trump] is going to take us backward,” says Danenberg. “This ‘Make America Great Again’ slogan is Trump saying that he wants to take us back to a time when we were in world wars and our people did not have basic rights. My father was born the year Emmett Till was killed, and I do not want to go back to those times. To me, this is a decision as a country whether we are going to move forward or move back.”
Reed agrees that re-electing Trump will set our country back, and he believes that we need to focus not only on what is important for our country but also on what is important for the world as well.
“We do not want to go back; we want to move forward. We want an economy that works for everyone, and we want to restore the rights that were taken away by the Trump Supreme Court,” says Reed.
Dedicated to advancing a more equitable future, Danenberg has made significant contributions through her involvement with the DNC, and her role as a delegate has made her a prominent voice for the Democratic Party. Her advocacy has played a key role in highlighting what the party is trying to achieve for the upcoming presidential election.
Reed says that it is people like Danenberg who are guiding the DNC toward a future with clean air, clean water, and a more habitable planet for future generations.
“Sophia is leading us on all of that work, not only as a DNC member of the rules committee but in her own life and work,” says Reed. “She has been an integral partner with the Democratic Party of Washington. We are very blessed to have her participation and passion, and I know that we have people in the party who would not be here without her activating them.”