Feb. 29, the day of the South Carolina Democratic presidential primaries, was an important day for the 2020 presidential election. During the weeks leading up to the S.C. primaries, the eight remaining Democratic candidates crisscrossed South Carolina to earn the people’s votes. From rallies to canvassing, thousands of supporters attended their respective candidate’s events. This story focuses on the events hosted in support of candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders and entrepreneur Tom Steyer. At Sanders’ rally in Columbia, S.C., hundreds of supports came to watch Sanders and take in the outdoor concert atmosphere. The event was opened by numerous Sanders endorsers including the hip-hop duo Blackillac, charismatic speaker Nina Turner, actor Danny Glover, artist Killer Mike and many local officials. Once Sanders appeared at the podium, the crowd filled the air with a sea of signs provided at the entrance. Steyer’s rally at Allen University, an HBCU in Columbia, S.C., felt like a hip-hop concert at a high school gymnasium as various artists also performed for a crowd of his mainly African-American supporters. The lineup included hip-hop artist Juvenile and gospel singer Yolanda Adams. There’s no denying the passion that these supporters have for their respective candidates.
Zhané Bradley
I’m a local from Columbia, S.C. In terms of photography, I’ve been taking photos for almost two years. I switched my major to visual communications recently, and I was pretty much self-taught before then. I love photographing people and traveling, so I want to explore more street photography and photojournalism.