The first night of the Democratic National Convention was awash in familiar faces, as powerhouses from across the democratic spectrum converged to throw their weight behind Kamala Harris.
Positioned alongside giants like Hillary Clinton and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, it would have been easy for Ashley Biden, the daughter of President Biden, to fade into the woodwork. The 43-year-old delivered a speech so full of compassion and humanity, however, that she quick became a standout of the night. It’s hard to compete with Clinton’s gorgeous full-circle moment or the unmatched prose of Jasmine Crockett, but the youngest Biden child still made her mark on the historic night.
Ashley Biden is a multi-talented woman
It’s not uncommon, where politics are concerned, for people to gain a platform simply thanks to who they know. That’s undeniably the case with Ashley Biden, who’s connection to the DNC starts and ends with her father — but that doesn’t make her voice, or her contributions to the night, any less vital.
The youngest Biden’s speech didn’t focus in on policy or the nitty gritty details of a presidential run, and instead zeroed in on the humanity of our political candidates. She spent much of her time at the mic discussing the sacrifices her father has made for this country, underlining the impact of his presidency and the heart of the man behind it.
The 43-year-old Biden isn’t just the child of the president, however. She boasts a solid resume decorated by years of contributions to social work and various activism efforts, with decades of experience under her belt. After starting her career as a clinical support specialist at the Northwestern Human Services Children’s Reach Clinic, Biden obtained her master’s degree in social work, and used all that knowledge she gained to zero in on the biggest issues facing children and their families.
Biden went on to spend 15 years working with the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families, creating several new programs, before shifting to focus in on criminal justice reform. She joined the Delaware Center for Justice, pursued progress on a number of issues facing families, and even implemented a new program zeroing in on youth gang activity.
Children have long been a major focus for Biden. She’s also dedicated her time toward founding the Young@Art program, which provides access and education about art to youths in juvenile detention, and even branched out into fashion. She has her own brand — the Livelihood Collection — which was created to combat racial and income inequality in the United States, and yet somehow, through it all, she still finds the time to contribute to her father’s political campaigns.