Students Cheer Biden Victory as Spontaneous Celebrations Spread Across NYC
Masked New Yorkers gather around a breakdancing performance in Times Square on the evening of Biden’s victory. Photo: Nathalie Camacho
By NATHALIE CAMACHO
With all the craziness and surreal moments we have experienced throughout 2020, President-Elect Joe Biden’s victory might have been one of the biggest.
On the morning of November 7, as news reports began scattering all across the internet about Biden’s win in the race to 270 electoral college vote, these announcements sparked roars of excitement all across the country, especially in New York City.
During the weekend of Biden’s victory, Midwood sophomore Diana Russo and I decided to take a trip to Times Square, which was one of the hot spots where people from all parts of New York came together to celebrate the news.
“I remember my first thoughts after coming out of the train station,” Russo said. “It was so loud it literally sounded like a party.” New Yorkers were cheering out of windows, cars were honking through the streets, instruments were being played, and people were chanting at the tops of their lungs, expressing a feeling of joy and relief.
As we walked through the streets, there were American flags and blue Biden signs left and right, cardboard signs being held up by people standing on cars, some reading “BYE TRUMP!” or “45, you’re fired!,” and groups of people dancing and having a great time. Although we arrived in the city after sunset, the energy was still vibrant throughout the night.
“I think all this energy came from the anticipation of waiting on Nevada’s votes to finally come in,” said Francis Lewis High School junior Chantel Rojas, whom I met during the celebration.
The day prior to this victory, Biden was stuck at 264 electoral votes, needing only 6 more in order to reach the “magic number” to become president-elect. Biden was already ahead in the race to turn Nevada blue, which he eventually did, with over 30,000 more votes than Donald Trump.
“I felt the sense of relief,” Fontbonne junior Gabriella Correa said. “All we were wanting was for Nevada to release their ballot information, but this seemed like it was taking longer than usual.”
Passing cars honked their horns in agreement with the celebrations. Photo: Tyra Juste
This event had people sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting to see what the next move was in an extremely close election. Many people felt that the results of the election could put their futures at risk. Some students feared losing equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community, women losing the right to have an abortion, and youth who were brought to America illegally not being able to be a part of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), which keeps them safe from deportation.
“As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Trump's presidency was the most painful thing I’ve had to live through,” LaGuardia High School Junior Sol Duncan said. “Seeing a racist, homophobic, xenophobic, and transphobic man control this country was terrifying. My rights and the rights of minorities were constantly in jeopardy because you would never know when he was going to decide to suddenly ban our rights.”
Many students cited concerns that a Trump reelection would put Black Lives Matter activists and supporters in danger and limit progress on gun control laws.
“I feel like Trump created a society that promotes hatred,” Midwood junior Elijah Martins said. “As the country continued under his control, I think that it just made hatred more common, and if he were to be re-elected, we could be sure that the country would slowly return to its racist roots.”
Having Biden as president-elect allowed a huge change in history for women as well. Vice-President-Elect Kamala Harris is the first woman and Asian-American to be part of a winning presidential ticket and will also be the first Black American to become vice president.
This was a huge step for inspiring other women because, as Harris said in her first speech as vice-president-elect, she will be the first female vice-president, but she “won't be the last.” Harris promised to defend women's rights all across the country.
Duncan said, “I personally do believe in being pro-choice, and we will not have that right taken away. So overall, I am very relieved that Biden won.”
Currently, Trump is claiming that the election was rigged and fraudulent. So far, most of his campaign’s lawsuits challenging ballots have been dropped or dismissed, even by the Supreme Court.
Martins said, “Despite the final outcome, this election year and the election itself changed voting in America forever.”