At the end of the route, the group of some 1,000 was forced to slow down. A phalanx of metal detectors blocked the entrance to Bryant Park, with black vehicles and Secret Service officers lining the streets. Inside the park was a surprise speaker: one Dr. Jill Biden, who, like many in the crowd, had been in Bridgehampton the evening before (along with her granddaughter Finnegan) to ring in the start of New York Fashion Week with Ralph Lauren.
Before Dr. Biden took the stage, however, marchers were greeted by Browne—the chairman of the CFDA—and James. Both spoke of the energy and power of the fashion industry, and the importance of civic engagement at pivotal moments in our electoral politics.
When Dr. Biden took the stage, she delivered a more intimate reflection on the intersection of public and personal life. She described the first time she first encountered her husband—from a distance, when he was a young and up-and-coming politician making waves in Delaware politics. Fast forward a few years, and she found herself on a date with the young Joe Biden, and grateful that she had overcome her concerns (her parents were Republicans) and had voted for him.
