Kamala Harris in PITTSFIELD, MASS.

By Bernice Elizabeth Green
Vice President Kamala Harris, travelled to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Saturday, July 27 for her first official fundraiser to support her likely run to be nominated by the Democratic Party to run in the November Presidential elections.
The historic event took place in the city’s Colonial Theatre. Tickets were sold, and every seat taken. Families and Pittsfield residents, all ages, showed up, and waited outside just for a glimpse of Kamala’s motorcade.
Hundreds transformed the town into a festive, reunion of sorts with folk Arlo and Woodie Guthrie folk music as the musical soundtrack. Kamala signs, flyers, cheers and chants also suggested a village preparing for a royal’s visit.

A few detractors driving quickly or walking sullenly, heads bowed, with makeshift posters, were ignored. Yet, they were a reality check; sixty years hence and King’s dream still is in a holding pattern with disparagers working on burying it while professing to uphold it.
Still, it was a great day
“Ours is a fight for the future, a fight for freedom,” the Vice President said inside the theatre.
And a fight for the sanctity of hope, said community leader Marge Cohan, standing, outside on the sidelines and assisting a girls group selling homemade bead bracelets for its fundraising commitment. (The pretty, delicate wristlets cost between $2 and $5.) “Every penny helps,” said one teen.
What about the noise? “There is this criticism that somehow, she didn’t get more involved and that he could have given her more to do. I think she had big responsibilities. More importantly she was there, and she had important responsibilities. He may offer advice, but I don’t think he’s going to tell Kamala what to do. She’s already stepping out front. She’s ready. She’s been at the table, so she knows what she must do. Next time around, the big seat at the table is hers. She knows what what’s going on. Vice President Harris is a skilled debater. She would best Trump in a debate. He was ready for Biden. Now, he faces Harris. Formidable!”
We’re less than three months from the elections. Is there time? Marge replied, “I coordinated the Obama Campaign here in the Berkshires and worked all throughout the county. I had the feeling that he wasn’t going to win. Then Obama himself just kept saying we are coming from behind, yes, we can and yes we will. Today, I feel it’s the same way Vice President Harris. Yes! We can!!”

Our Time Press heard some young people are skeptical of voting. “I didn’t hear that, and I don’t think they are saying that today. I hope they are not saying that. Mostly, I hope people vote. We do a lot of work in getting people registered. But between registration and the act of voting there’s such a big difference of time and space. People may decide not to make the effort, and I hope they do. But I think the Vice President can inspire everybody. People are tired of negative energy, and she as positive energy.

And what are you telling your children? My children are grown. But I already told them, this day is a great day in history. I’m taking a picture of myself at this rally and sending it to them. I think they will be impressed.

This morning, I was at the bank talking to a Black teller about the events happening today. I said ‘I never thought I would see this in a lifetime.’ He said to me, ‘This is our lifetime’. And he is right. This is our time.
Cassandra Pugh, Marge’s best friend, also stood on the corner across from the Colonial Theatre with her daughter.
Cassandra described the Vice President as a walking guidebook on how to become a leader. “Her appearance in Pittsfield helps fortify the messages we want to instill in our daughters.
“The takeaway on the Vice President as an American success story is, individuals should never stop believing, praying, trusting in your capabilities. Never stop searching and reaching for greatness.

“Don’t let anyone dictate what your storyline should be,” Cassandra continued, adding “because you’re the one who must accept the final draft. Always have the courage to make change and remember that you must be the change that you want to see.
Cassandra wasn’t surprised Pittsfield, all races and nationalities, “showed up and showed out for Vice President Kamala Harris because people are ready for change, and we don’t want the former person back in office. I was overjoyed to hear all the positive conversations going on in the crowd.”
Marge, a strategist, leader who’s forte is coming up with good ideas to keep the community unified and having fun, like creating Bike Riding Trail programs and clubs, offered the reason Kamala Harris has risen overnight to rock star status. “She’s qualified. I think her energy and her intelligence, and her full posture speaks to strength, and she is so poised for power.
And the noise around her? “There’s this criticism that somehow, she didn’t get more involved, she didn’t get more work, and so forth. But the truth is, she was always there, and she was given big responsibilities.

Will Biden advise her? “I don’t think he’s going to be telling Kamala Harris what to do. She’s her own woman, and she will be lead.”
It is widely known, Trump cancelled a September debate with Harris, formerly scheduled with Biden — even though he announced publicly that he was ready to debate Biden, just less than 10 days ago.
In a phone call placed by Our Time Press, Marge responded, “The Vice President eventually will have the big seat at the table, so she knows what she must do. She knows what’s going on. And she will continue to press him on it.

Less than three months from the elections, is there time to get all ducks in a row? Marge said, “I coordinated the Obama Campaign for this area and d all throughout the county. At first, I had the feeling of defeat before we even got off the ground: I wavered between, ‘can he win this to he can’t possibly win this.”. Then Obama himself just kept saying over and over, ‘we are coming from behind and Yes! We Can!’ I feel the same today with Harris.”

The soundtrack of the day was folk music from the 1960’s adaptations and reworkings of Woodie and Arlo Guthrie’s folk song “This Land is Your Land” blended in with other songs like Civil Rights movement standard. Violinist Jana Pfeiffer of Richmond, Va; Jim Caron, a fiddler from Great Barrington, Mass; and guitarist Steve Mole guitarist, born and raised in Pittsfield, Mass, played music for a couple of hours, inserting the Vice President’s name in the song (We’ve been to London, we’ve been to Paris, never met anyone like Kam’la Harris).
In the ticketholders line, there was no cutting, no shoving as ticket-holders waited to enter the, “opulent” 1903-constructed 760-seat Theatre.

Ticketholder Dennis Powell, President of the Berkshire County NAACP and a respected public historian, arrived at 10:30am. Constance Carter and her husband Regis King brought their two children, Christina and Ryan, up from Flatbush in Brooklyn, accompanied by their godmother Bryce Bronstein. Constance, Regis and Bryce are involving the children in educational experiences. “And this was more than that, it was a chance to be part of history,” said Constance.
By 1:00 attendees were inside with limited media present. VIP Powell managed to get about two dozen distinguished people inside the theater. “They” included the late W.E.B. DuBois’ and about 28 other historic figures: artists, educators and literary types who attended The First Amenia black scholar’s conference in New York more than 100 years ago, reportedly predating the advent of the Harlem Renaissance.

No one noticed his guests. Under Powell’s fashionable ivory summer linen shirt was a coveted tee imprinted with a 1916 image of the notable scholars. He picked it up one week earlier at the July 20th DuBois Forum 2024 gathering in the Berkshires. He was determined these historic figures would be part of the Pittsfield historic moment of possible the first established woman campaigner of color in this century seeking the highest office in the land. “They had to be part of the moment. It was a symbolic gesture,” he told Our Time Press. (We thought it was cool.)
The fundraiser was planned and scheduled before President Biden announced his departure from the elections. 750 tickets priced from $100-$12,500 were expected to bring in a total of
$400,000. That sum was increased by a million dollars settling at a record $1.5m of funds raised.

It was Vice President Kamala’s second visit within 7 days to Massachusetts. What a difference a day makes. July 20, she flew there to raise money for Biden’s re-election run.
When Harris returned to the Berkshires’ Pittsfield, last Saturday, July 27, it was not as helpmate. She came in support of her own campaign.
Saturday at 3:00pm, two hours after Air Force Two landed at Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport in Westfield, MA, Vice President Kamala Harris and delivering her message to an enthralled audience at her first stop – Pittsfield.