Capturing History

Yesterday, I learned that Denver is truly the place to be for a visual communicator. Last night the crew and I ate at Pappadeaux, this fancy seafood restaurant, which is too extravagant for my per-diem. Anyway, as we laid out our game plan for the days to come, my mind began to wonder; I noticed out the window that I could see mountains miles away. I have never been to a place where one can see so far in the distance. But here I am in Denver, looking into the distance; it kind of makes me think that this election is very much like the mountains in the distance. In many ways, this election represents greatness to come for our nation’s future. While I’m out here, I hope to capture some part of the convention that will echo that future into history.

Now today was the first day I was able to put that history-capturing thing into practice. Let me tell you, at first I was weary; the heat was getting to me, but things turned around by the end of the day. Oh my, no one told me how dry the heat is out here. As a videographer, with all the equipment, I have to drag stuff with me everywhere I go. I had a monopod, a video camera, two still cameras, a light, two microphones and the list goes on and on. To top it off, I had a vest full of other video-people-equipment-junk. Boy, was I hot. I was sweating all over people trying to take their photo and interview them at the same time. The good thing about it is that the Black people here are very welcoming and supportive. It seems that there aren’t many Blacks out here, but the few that are here all know each other.

The people value their communities and the people within. One thing I found interesting is that Denver doesn’t have “ghettos” like what most people are used to seeing in the hood – you know, like the rundown houses, drug addicts wandering around and just a general feeling of devastation. Maybe that’s just me, but that’s what I think about. Well no, it’s not like that out here. A community activist out here showed us around this place called “The Five Points,” which looks very much like an average middle-class neighborhood, but he says this is the closest they have to a “ghetto” in Denver (you can see the video and photos of how nice this place is). They actually have sprinklers watering the grass. I don’t know where you’re from, but I never saw sprinklers in the hood unless someone was trying to sell me some.

Anyway, that’s it for me from Denver tonight. Let me know what you think about this convention, and also it would be cool to hear what questions you would like me to ask people while I’m here. Imagine if you where running the camera, what would you ask or say to these celebrities and politicians?

Signing Off
Video-Dave

Through the Lens at the DNC