Disappointed is perhaps the best way to describe the feeling hanging over Bronzeville Winery as election results projected Donald Trump to be the next president of the United States. Many attendees said being in community at a Black-owned establishment was important during a historic election, where the majority of attendees were hopeful for a Kamala Harris victory.
The winery, which is usually closed for business on Tuesdays, was open for those who wanted a place to watch the results in unison. This was an important gathering option for restaurant founder Eric Williams.
“This is a historic night, and the discussion around this election has been probably more intense than any I’ve ever heard really talked about,” Williams said.“I think it’s important as a community, we come together on these kinds of nights.”
The winery was filled with hopefuls enjoying various wines, cocktails and food options. Attendees stood and sat while engaging in conversations with one another as election results rolled across the screen at the front of the room. Guests roared with applause and cheers as Harris secured victory in Illinois.
“I don’t want Donald Trump to win, I’ll be honest with you so this is important,” said attendee Joseph Olalusi. “It’s important to see what happens here and I want to share that moment with my community,”It’s going to be an upset if we don’t get our results the way we want it. I’m gonna go ahead, take my fedora home and my shirt home, and maybe we’ll party another time.”
Olalusi would turn out to do just that as he made his way out as the results poured in. As the votes were counted and media pundits explained the electoral vote, the night ended well before Trump was projected to be the next president. As time went on and it became clear that the so-called “red mirage” of Republican winning votes was not a mirage at all, some remained hopeful while others felt defeated.
Kendra Jones, 31, who is a regular at Bronzeville Winery, felt it was important to be surrounded with others to bear witness. As a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA), the same sorority at Harris, Jones was doubly invested in the election outcome.
“We brag a lot about being first, and this would just be an honor and something to put in our history books,” she said. “[It] will make a really big difference and a huge impact on the sorority at large and on a micro level, to individual members.”
Jones, like others, departed as the electoral vote rolled in Trump’s favor. She confessed she was not initially familiar with the electoral process. Her upbeat demeanor waned as the night went on.
Kimberly McCommon, also a member of AKA, tried to remain hopeful while states like California and Texas had their votes counted. At that point in the night, she said she was familiar with the electoral process and that the evening was far from over.
But anxiety eventually overcame hope.Terrence Hendricks and Brittani Hall said they had anxiety while seeing the results.
“It’s a bag of mixed emotions [as] you see a lot of the red and blue states and it’s also a lot of anxiety as well because you don’t who’s gonna win,” Hendricks said. Both Hall and Hendricks, like the rest of the venue, cheered when Harris won the state of California and the handful of other blue states.
Trump won the required minimum of 270 electoral votes after the tallies came in from swing states Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, where the former president was the victor. But for Williams, the energy in the room began to shift after news media reported that Trump won North Carolina and Georgia.
“People were also following the New York Times tracker that has the percentage of chance to win. A lot of people on their phones [were] saying that went from 50% for Trump to 65% to 70% and they were kind of showing me in real-time,” he said. “So even beyond the states that they were calling, it was obvious.”
The sinking feeling of disappointment began to sit in for Shameka Pryor just a little after 10 p.m. This was her first-ever election night party.“I feel like the only difference is that this time it’s a Black lady running and I don’t mean that in a positive way because we see how people look at Black people in America, let alone a Black woman in America,” Pryor said. “And then to be a Black woman educated in America, they feel like they have to make an example of you and beat you down. And that’s what this feels like.”
She said she wouldn’t attend another election night party because of the unknowns around people’s true intentions.
“I’m steady looking around trying to see who you vote for; why you here?” Pryor said. “I don’t like that feeling. Next time I’m gonna just stay at home with some snacks and a bottle of wine and call it a day. If I crash out, I want to do it in the privacy of my own home.”
Many began to leave the winery around 10:30 pm though the event was scheduled to last until 11 pm. A DJ booth sat unmanned throughout the night and remained unused as the guests left the somber-filled venue over the election results. Conversations ranged from abortion rights and why many people are opting out of bearing children to the frustrations and fears of the impacts of another Trump presidency.
Although the night did not end in a grand celebration as many expected, Williams felt the event served its purpose and was a success. Yes, he would do it again.
“To have people in the room together no matter what, I still think it’s probably better than being by yourself,” he said. “It showed that people were interested in retaining our democracy. People want to come out and be in a community with other people.”
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