The Democratic Convention Begins Today, Here’s What To Expect

The 2020 Democratic National Convention will begin tonight (Aug. 17) at 9 p.m. virtually to formally nominate the next president and vice president of the United States.

What We Know

  • Although the Democratic National Convention (DNC) was scheduled to be in-person and located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Democrats have been forced to hold this year’s event virtually due to growing Coronavirus concerns.
  • Various speakers will deliver speeches from different locations across the country, unlike the Republican National Convention that is still set to be held at the Spectrum Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina.
  • The DNC four-night event begins Monday and will be a two-hour virtual event each night ending Thursday (Aug. 20). The first night is set to focus on themes of unity featuring the former first lady Michelle Obama, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, and a Republican — former Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
  • The 2020 DNC will also boast several musical performances. Monday, August 17th, Maggie Rogers and Leon Bridges will perform; on the 19th Billie Eilish and Jennifer Hudson will perform; and on the 20th, the Chicks will perform. Additional performances are expected from John Legend, Common, Stephen Stills, Billy Porter and Prince Royce.
  • Each of these speakers will contribute speeches and their respective following in support of presidential nominee Joe Biden and vice presidential nominee, Kamala Harris. Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s presence at the 2020 Democratic National Convention comes at no surprise. The governor is a supporter of the Republican party’s ‘Never Trump’ movement. The movement consists of conservatives that have refuted President Trump.

“You can feel free to cross the aisle and vote for somebody else. That’s not some terrible thing to do. In fact, if you see somebody you like and you respect, it’s what being an American is allabout.”

-John Kasich

  • The 2020 Democratic National Convention’s platform is set to discuss environmental concerns, policing injustices, healthcare, and much more. The virtual event will allow Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ to not only accept their nominations but expound on their plans for the country moving forward.

The 2020 Democratic National Convention is unlike any other because it is being held remotely so this event will determine how politics will exist in a growing, virtual landscape.

How to Watch

The full primetime block of the 2020 DNC will air on CNN, C-Span, MSNBC and PBS, while ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News will carry the main events between 10 p.m. to 11 p.m ET. The convention will also livestream on the DNC’s website, here at Black News Alerts, as well as on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Twitch. Streams will be available through services like Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Prime Video.  Download the Black News Alerts app to watch live.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Editors from Black News Alerts and BossFM will host an analysis of the evening immediately following each DNC broadcast.  Watch here.