When the Democratic National Convention kicks off at the United Center August 19, three Black women will be among the 22-member press team that will help thousands of journalists from around the world cover the four-day event.
Anticipation is building as the Democratic National Convention Committee held its second walk-through at the United Center this week, where its communications team was busy helping and educating throngs of journalists understand the extensive plans of putting on the big political event.
Many already know that Chicago native Minyon Moore is the first Black woman to head the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC). On her team are three additional Black women who are making names for themselves, as they support President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign for a second term. They are Haley Wint, deputy press secretary for the DNCC; Cayana Mackey-Nance, director of digital strategy, and Bry’Shawna Walker, media logistics manager.
They are young, talented and have rising communications careers that already include professional jobs for prominent political candidates in Washington, D.C. One of the young committee members grew up on the West Side, and some have ties to the Chicago area and Illinois.
Their appointment reflects the growing influence of Black women in communications fields that shape how politics and campaigns are covered in the media.
The women are among a team of communications professionals who helped put together two massive media briefings known as walk-throughs for the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The latest walk-through was held on Wednesday, May 22, at the DNC site at the United Center on the West Side.
Hundreds of print, radio and television journalists and representatives attended the event, where DNC officials gave them the nuts and bolts of setting up their news operations in allocated media spaces that include press boxes, spaces for broadcast journalists to do live reports, and booths for radio hosts to give play-by-play action happening on the floor.
About 15,000 members of the media are expected for the convention. They will be among 50,000 attendees, including delegates who will visit Chicago to see President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris receive the Democratic Party nomination for a second term.
As deputy press secretary, Wint handles inquiries from the press. She will also assist DNCC Press Secretary Emily Soong in disseminating information to journalists who have been credentialed to cover the event.
Wint is from Wilmette, Illinois, an affluent suburb located on Chicago’s tony North Shore. She graduated from New Trier High School, a nationally renowned high school that has won numerous academic honors. Wint graduated from Georgetown University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Arabic Language and American Studies.
Before she was appointed deputy press secretary for the DNCC, Wint was press secretary for over two years for Congresswoman Lauren Underwood in Illinois’ 14th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Before that, Wint served as a communications aide for the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs in Washington D.C.
The DNCC’s director of digital strategy, Mackey-Nance led Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock’s digital team as deputy digital director in his historic Senate campaign in 2020. She also worked for New Jersey Senator Cory Booker’s 2020 Democratic presidential campaign. In addition, Mackey-Nance’s digital experience includes working as vice president of digital at EMILYs List where she oversees digital fundraising, social media and design teams. Mackey-Nance holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Lee University.
The DNCC’S media logistics manager, Walker grew up on Chicago’s West Side. She attended LEARN Charter School (Romano-Butler Campus) and finished high school in the suburbs at Huntley High School. She graduated from North Central College in Naperville with a bachelor’s degree in political science with social change.
