August 27, 2004

Election 2004

Evergreen native hits the campaign trail with the Democratic Party

By Mariecar Mendoza
Staff Writer

Darnell Strom earned an internship with former President Bill Clinton in 2004. Strom and several other interns meet with Clinton to discuss the Presidential Library and Foundation.

Whether it was sheer luck, fate or simply a lifelong passion for politics that got him there, Evergreen native Darnell Strom is in the right place at the right time—playing an integral part in Senator Kerry’s campaign for the presidency.

The ambitious 23-year-old is currently overseeing the operation of every state office the Kerry-Edwards campaign opens in Florida. “It is my job to make sure every office is functional and has the resources it needs to get John Kerry elected as president,” said Strom, director of Florida’s operations for the Kerry-Edwards campaign.

Strom’s connection to Kerry began in New York. As a 2003 graduate of Florida A&M University, magna cum laude, with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in pre-law, Strom earned an internship at former President Bill Clinton’s Harlem office. There he worked for three months assisting Clinton’s chief of staff and the development team with the Presidential Library and Foundation.

When he completed that assignment, he was encouraged to work for the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Boston, Mass., to be held July 26 – 29. A few phone calls later, Strom found himself in Boston as the special assistant to the deputy chief executive officer of operations for the DNC Committee, which oversaw the housing, transportation and security for the event.

Among first to work for 2004 DNC
“I started in September 2003 when there were only about six people on staff,” remembered Strom. The staff grew to 300 by the time the event began. He continued his duties for that position until April 2004, when he was hired by the DNC Chair Alice Huffman to work as director of her office.

“My role was similar to [the] one of the chief of staff,” Strom said. “During the week of the convention, I traveled with the chairwoman to strategy meetings, events and receptions. I was lucky enough to be able to sit on the stage all four nights of the convention.”

Putting on the DNC, however, was a “massive production” with so many variables that had to come together, according to Strom. Dignitaries arriving from across the country—members of congress, senators, governors and other heads of state—translated into intense security efforts to protect everyone inside the Fleet Center.

Since Strom was one of the first few people involved with the coordination of the DNC, he had the opportunity to see the entire event unfold from start to finish. Unfortunately, Strom said most of the greatest moments of the DNC were not broadcast for the majority of Americans to see.

“The major networks only covered about four hours of the whole convention, [and] there were 26 other hours that people could only watch on C-Span. I think people missed out on the full spirit of the Democratic Party,” he said.

But from Strom’s perspective, being physically present in the midst of a historical event, the DNC was “almost perfect.”
“As I looked over the convention floor I saw so much diversity, excitement and people feeling like family. One of the songs they played was ‘We Are Family,’ and it was very true,” Strom said.

Despite this feeling of “family,” however, Strom could not help being star-struck when he finally got to meet Senator Kerry.

“I was on stage during the balloon drop on the last night of the convention when Senator Kerry finished giving his speech. I was going to introduce myself to him, but the closing prayer started,” said Strom, who was among the Kerry and Edwards families.

“During the prayer I was standing right in the middle of Jesse Jackson and Senator Kerry,” he continued. “After the prayer, he [Kerry] shook my hand, and I told him, ‘Congratulations on a wonderful speech and good luck on the campaign.’ He thanked me and said he was ‘looking forward to hitting the campaign trail’ … Being up there in all the confetti and balloons was such a surreal experience that I will never forget.”

Thoughts on the 2004 elections
“I think this year’s election is one of the most important elections ever,” said Strom. “The American people are angry with the current administration. People feel like they cannot trust the president and the vice president.

“I think this election is about what direction the country is going in,” he continued. “Bush squandered an opportunity to keep Americans unified after we all came together in the aftermath of 9/11. We are now more divided than ever, and we need a proven leader like John Kerry to refocus our nation’s direction and make us stronger at home and respected around the world.”

Of course, Strom could not stress enough that it all comes down to the voters of America.

“I would like to tell voters, particularly young voters between the ages of 18 and 25, to make sure they vote. We know now, after the 2000 election, that every vote counts and that elections do matter,” he said. “Politics is not a spectator sport, you have got to get in the game and mix it up.”

However, Strom understands that the media has confused many Americans and made them hesitant to get involved. For example, the campaign ads against Senator Kerry sponsored by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth organization has cast doubt upon Senator Kerry’s character and distracted people’s attention from more important issues.

“Voters [need] to ignore the negative attack ads and partisan rhetoric and focus on the real message,” said Strom.

“Pay attention to who has substance behind their message … and continue to vote. If you become a strong voting community, politicians will always pay attention to you. I love our democracy because the people always make the final decision.”

This love for democracy has been Strom’s driving force throughout his political career.

Apathetic voters waking up
“I hope at some point, my generation realizes the importance of politics,” added Strom. “I have been thrilled to see the record numbers of young voters registering to vote for the first time.” He attributes this increase to our current president’s actions during his term.

“This President has awakened many of the apathetic voters. People who did not care about politics realized that being involved in the process matters. Folks who are mad about job loss, the war on Iraq, tax cuts or any other issue have registered to vote and will be involved this time around,” said Strom.

“Americans come together when it is time for change, and I think that is why you see so many people registering to vote. We can do better than what we are doing, and we will do better when John Kerry is elected president … we will see record voter turn out on Nov. 2,” he added.

Until then, Strom and his team are working hard on the Kerry-Edwards campaign.

Future dreams
Looking toward the future, the Evergreen native is interested in pursuing a law or a master’s degree.

“I would like to contribute to the community by becoming a real estate developer specializing in the economic development of underprivileged areas,” he said. “Whether I am doing business or practicing law, I always plan to be involved in politics.”

Strom isn’t exactly sure where he will be involved in politics, but he is definitely going to continue down this road to success and hopes to find himself doing so at home in San Jose.

“I have been traveling around [and] living in different areas across the country, but no matter where I go, I am always singing the praises of San Jose and my community of Evergreen – the Greater Evergreen Valley is what I like to call it,” Strom said. “I know that in the next year or so, I plan on moving back to the Bay Area and replanting myself in the community.”

However, before returning to Evergreen, Strom says he must first make a stop at the White House.

“After John Kerry is elected president, my goal is to work in the White House,” Strom stated confidently. When asked if he plans to pursue the U.S. presidency himself, Strom humbly answered that he hadn’t really entertained the idea.

“I have thought about running for local, state and even national office one day,” he said. “But the job of the president of the United States is the hardest job in the world. I wouldn’t even think about running for president until I thought I was capable of handling the job. At 23, I am not ready.”

Strom’s Top 5 Moments at the Democratic National Convention
- Listening to his former boss, President Clinton, deliver his speech and talking with Senator Hilary Clinton.
- Listening to an “inspiring” speech by U.S. Senate candidate from Illinois, Barack Obama.
- Listening to John Kerry’s speech.
- Being on stage with all the elected officials as they congratulated Senator Kerry.
- Attending parties such as “Rock the Vote” where he met celebrities like Ben Affleck, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and Maya Angelou.

Q&A with Strom’s Mom

Lorretta Strom is the mother of Darnell and his older siblings Raymond and Lanecia. She describes Darnell as the most energetic of her children. That energy, coupled with his charisma and passion to give back to the community, may well lead to an influential role in government in years to come for Darnell.

But to understand the man who may one day be the governor of California, one must look at his past, and who can shed a better light on that than his own mother?

Evergreen Times: When did your son get interested in politics?

Loretta Strom: Darnell became interested in fourth grade when he ran for historian. I remember telling him, ‘Are you sure you want to do this? If you’re not elected, it’s all right.’ But he was confident. And sure enough, he got the position. That’s what started his career.

ET: Who was influential in Darnell’s political life?

LS: In junior high, the principal at Chaboya [Bette Samdahl] told him, ‘You should run for student president. You would make a great president.’ She encouraged him throughout his time at Chaboya. She really saw something in my child. Every time some event happened at school—for example, when Chaboya received California Distinguished School award from the state—she requested that my son represent Chaboya.

At an early age, his teachers and administrators encouraged him. I really appreciated the support. We always hear that teachers and the administration don’t support our children; well here in this community, they do. The school system and the community had an impact on Darnell. We call Evergreen ‘our village’ because we look after our kids and take real pride in the successes of our children.

ET: Darnell emphasizes the importance to vote. What did he do when he was younger to spread the word about voting?

LS: When Darnell attended Piedmont High School he was interviewed by Channel 11 News, concerning his involvement in the community. He was the NAACP president at the time, registering people to vote at Valley Fair Mall. But even before that, he showed an active interest in voting. When he was in elementary school, he was a representative for Laurelwood at the [Kidz Vote] convention that encouraged children to vote.

ET: Are you and your husband, Raymond Strom Sr., active in politics and the community?

LS: We’ve been very active in the community in terms of what’s going on. We encourage people to vote every year. Our ancestors fought for the right to vote, so to me, it’s a privilege and a right to vote. We really believe in it, and that’s why we do a lot to encourage our community to vote. It makes a difference.

Not only that, my parents lived here in San Jose, and they were active members of the NAACP, the church and other associations. They said, “When you get your education, you have to give back to the community.” They also encouraged young people to be active in the community and to vote.

Strom’s political career begins at Laurelwood Elementary

Darnell Strom isn’t exactly sure what sparked his interest in politics. Yet he does remember that his parents always voted when he was growing up, and they would often plant a yard sign for a favorite candidate. They always stayed in touch with what was going on in the world.

“I remember watching the 1988 Democratic National Convention on my living room floor with my parents at the age of 7,” said Strom. “Growing up, I always wanted to offer any help that I could to my classmates in school, so I always ran for leadership positions. Once I started getting elected, I started to focus more on leadership at all levels—from student government, to city government, to federal government.”

A progression of leadership
- Laurelwood Elementary School:
Fourth grade – Elected historian.
Fifth grade – Elected vice president.
Sixth grade –Elected president

- Chaboya Middle School:
Eight grade – Elected president; the first male and African-American elected to that position at Chaboya Middle School.

- Piedmont Hills High School:
Strom served as class representative during his junior and senior years, and outside of school, he was very active in his community. At age 15, he was elected president of the San Jose Youth Council of the NAACP, where he served two years. He also was elected to the National Resolutions Committee at the age of 16—as the youngest member to sit on the National Committee for the NAACP.

- Florida A&M University:
Strom served as the secretary of student welfare in the Student Government Association. He also served as a senior senator and was voted “Senior Senator of the Year.”