State House and Assembly Speakers from Pennsylvania, Delaware, Illinois, New York convene in Philadelphia for historic panel

On Thursday morning, Black political leaders from Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois and Delaware met for a conversation on the country’s founding – and its future – at Mother Bethel AME Church, the oldest African Methodist Episcopal congregation in the United States. 

“Your voice matters,” state House Speaker Joanna McClinton said, speaking to attendees. “When we see the attacks nationally on our right to vote, there is a role for all of us to play now, from the wisest to the youngest.”

McClinton hosted the panel at Mother Bethel AME Church, which sits on the oldest parcel of land in the U.S. continuously owned by African-Americans – a point speakers and church leaders emphasized against the backdrop of America’s semiquincentennial. 

Titled “A More Perfect Union: from Independence to Inclusion, 250 years of American Democracy,” the panel focused on the evolution of American democracy and the key role that local and state politics play in protecting civil liberties – and was led by McClinton, Illinois state House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, Delaware state House Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown and New York state Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie.  

“How are we, in this modern age, going to make sure that we don’t see a resurgence of racism, of misogyny, of stop signs and barriers?” McClinton asked. “We have to have some urgency like we’ve never had in the past.”

Minor-Brown, Welch and Heastie are the first Black officials to hold their respective positions, and McClinton, who took over as House Speaker when Democrats took control of the lower chamber in 2023, is the first woman to serve as Speaker of the Pennsylvania House. 

When asked about inclusion – a central theme of the discussion – Heastie told City & State that just the fact that inclusion is a topic of conversation is a clear indication that “this country is not living up to the premise of treating all people the same.”

“It is a reminder that we still have to work towards having this country be more inclusive and more equitable, for everyone,” Heastie said after Thursday’s event. “The four of us (panelists), we communicate a lot about what’s going on in our states … I think these conversations take (on) a more important (role), particularly on the eve of what could be – and I know we say this every two years – the most important election of my lifetime.” 

With much of the discussion focused on voting rights and the role of state legislatures as laboratories of democracy, the panelists stressed the need for community engagement to get people out to vote and make their voices heard through their representatives. 

“We have 50 states and we have six Black (state House) Speakers,” Welch said Thursday. “How do we fight? We’ve got to vote.”

Minor-Brown said she gets “heartburn” thinking of celebrating the country’s 250th anniversary, knowing the country’s racial history and what previous generations went through before people like herself got a seat at the table.

“I think it’s really important that we hold ourselves accountable to – and be honest about – the fact that we have so much further to go,” Minor-Brown said Thursday. “Yes, celebrate the wins, but understand that we can’t be comfortable.”

On the eve of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, panelists also spoke on the lasting impact of 9/11. 

“It becomes a moment of reflection in New York, and even (across) this country,” Heastie said, who added that the U.S. often sees New York City as a bellwether of the state of both politics  and government competence. 

“We often feel like the rest of the U.S. looks to us to provide leadership,” said Heastie, when asked about protecting elections and voting rights. “We actually do kind of work well” with Hochul “when it comes to trying to step in when the federal government has come up short.” 

McClinton, who plugged her sweeping election reform bill during her remarks, said the state’s divided legislature has gotten in the way of additional progress. 

“People are interviewing me saying, ‘What happened to transit funding? Why aren’t skill games regulated?’” she continued. “Well, my good friends in the Republican-controlled Senate have decided they don't want to do their job. So voters have an opportunity to make a different decision on Tuesday, Nov. 3rd.”

As the panel closed and the legislators looked forward to the next 250 years, each gave their own take on how much “more work needs to be done.” 

“I really just want there to be a day where you can see that hope has been instilled in people. I’m honored to serve as the first Black speaker, but I don’t want to be the last,” Minor-Brown concluded. “I can’t wait for a day when there’s no more ‘firsts’ – it’s just the norm.”