Jefferson–Jackson Dinner

A Jefferson–Jackson Dinner is a title traditionally given to an annual fundraising celebration held by Democratic Party organizations in the United States.[1] It is named for Presidents Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson, which the party calls its founders. They are usually held at a local level where they are an opportunity for elected officials, candidates, party staff, advisors, and donors attend.

Not to be confused with Jefferson's Birthday.
President and Mrs. Truman at the Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner, 1952

It is usually held in February or March. The Republican Party's equivalent is usually called a Lincoln Dinner, Reagan Dinner, or Lincoln–Reagan Dinner. Into the 1960s, state and local Democratic Parties across the country depended on well-attended Jefferson–Jackson Day dinners to provide their annual funding.[2] Their financial importance has somewhat dimmed since after the development of different fundraising strategies, although they still serve a function for social networking and conferences.

Change of name

Due to controversies over Jefferson's slaveholding and Jackson's policy toward Native Americans while in office, some Democratic Party organizations have been removing Jefferson and Jackson from the title of party fundraisers.[3] The flow of the State Democratic Parties seeking to change the name of their iconic Jefferson-Jackson dinner is spurred by a desire to embrace a more modern identity.[4] The argument is made that while Jefferson and Jackson were both great men and for a time embodied the spirit of the Democratic Party, they now fail to represent the breadth of change that has affected the Democratic Party and its current membership.[5][6]

Many state Democratic Parties have changed the traditional name. For example:

In the same way, the Republican party has moved away from "Lincoln Dinners" for the same reason due to the realignment in American politics since the 1960s, especially in the Southern United States where conservatives now tend to be Republicans while liberals tend to be Democrats.[15] As another example of the switch, the Democratic Obama administration led the effort to remove Andrew Jackson from the United States twenty-dollar bill, while Republican President Donald Trump praised Andrew Jackson as a populist hero who reminds him of himself, and personally delayed the effort.[16]

See also

References
  1. Obama sets sights on November battle Archived 2008-02-28 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Kari A. Frederickson (2001). The Dixiecrat Revolt and the End of the Solid South, 1932-1968. U of North Carolina Press. p. 80. ISBN 9780807849101.
  3. Martin, Jonathan (11 August 2015). "State by State, Democratic Party Is Erasing Ties to Jefferson and Jackson". The New York Times.
  4. Southall, Ashley (2015-08-08). "Jefferson-Jackson Dinner Will Be Renamed". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-10-24.
  5. Berman, Russell. "No Longer the Party of Jefferson and Jackson?". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
  6. "Democrats Consider Whether To Rename Jefferson-Jackson Dinner". NPR.org. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
  7. Top presidential contenders may show up in Mississippi this month Archived 2012-09-19 at archive.today
  8. "Democrats Consider Whether To Rename Jefferson-Jackson Dinner". NPR.org. Retrieved 2016-10-24.
  9. "Iowa Democrats rebrand fundraiser as Liberty & Justice Celebration". 12 September 2019.
  10. "Morrison Exon Annual Fundraiser and Volunteer Awards". Retrieved 2018-02-12.
  11. "Democrats dump Jefferson, Jackson names from dinners".
  12. Bill Clinton to headline DFL’s renamed Humphrey-Mondale Dinner
  14. "Dems to drop controversial leaders' names from signature dinner".
  15. Parties swap names on fundraising dinners to reflect modern alignment
  16. Harriet Tubman $20 Bill Is Delayed Until Trump Leaves Office, Mnuchin Says
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