New Haven Independent

Conyers, 78, is the second-longest serving member of the House, with 20 full terms under his belt. He swung through Connecticut Thursday to stump for Barack Obama as the state’s Feb. 5 Democratic presidential primary nears.

Conyers’ visit to the Long Wharf restaurant brought together mostly African-American leaders from across the state, many of whom were past their height of political activity and hadn’t been united in years.

“We’re the old warhorses from back in the day that they clean up and dress up and roll out,” said an introductory speaker as an audience took bites of pasta salad for a 5 o’clock meal. “We’re happy to join the young warhorses today.”

Gary Holder-Winfield, the young New Havener who’s reviving the Connecticut Federation of Black Democratic Clubs as its new chair, was given 24 hours to find African-American leaders to fill the restaurant’s back room. He pulled out the Federation’s dusty Rolodex and helped turn out 50 people to the event.

“There’s some history in the house,” said Conyers, looking around the room at a crowd in his age group. The congressman, who now chairs the House Judiciary Committee, is known as a pioneer: He was one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Conyers said he’d love to come back one day and “talk about what’s transpired since 1986.” But today he was here to talk about Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, who squares off against Hillary Clinton in Tuesday’s Connecticut primary.

When Obama speaks, “tones of Martin Luther King reverberate in the room,” Conyers said.

“That’s right!” called one voice.

“Watch out!” called another.

Obama’s so inspiring, Conyers said, that “I’m bustin’ my buns like I’ve never done before” to get this 46-year-old man elected.

“Join me,” Conyers told the crowd. “We will be on the cusp of what has been dreamed about for so many, many generations in America.”

The intent of the event was to inspire attendees to go back into their communities and spur some get-out-the-vote action.

“This has got a lot of people excited,” said James Griffin (pictured). Griffin used to head the Waterbury NAACP. He revisited his birthplace, South Carolina, to volunteer for Obama for 10 days.

Upon returning, he was pleased to see some unexpected vigor in Connecticut’s campaign, and to revive some old contacts from back in the day.

“It’s like a reunion,” said a beaming Jan Parker (pictured center) of New Haven. She came with her husband Hank Parker, who was the state’s first black treasurer (pictured receiving a campaign pin).

The Parkers were joined by a diverse group of civil rights activists, religious leaders and elected officials from New Haven, Norwalk, Bridgeport, Hartford and Windsor. Some Hispanic leaders, including former New Haven Alderman Tomás Reyes and current Alderman Joey Rodriguez, showed up. So did New Haven Alderman Charles Blango and Democratic Town Committee Chair Susie Voigt.

Many weren’t used to sitting in the same room, for the same cause.

“We all have our little fights between Puerto Ricans and blacks in town,” said Edwin Vargas, a Puerto Rican and the former head of Hartford’s Democratic Town Committee. Tonight, he said, “we can see beyond that.”