As a woman of color, I watched in awe as Kamala Harris gave her address on November 7, 2020. To finally see a woman, a woman of color, stand before the entire nation as the Vice President-elect, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with emotion. Not only is she the first woman, but she is the first African-American and South Asian American woman to hold office.
As I watched, it felt surreal seeing history being made, and the voice of a woman be amplified instead of silenced. Kamala stated in her address, “While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.” This address felt like it showed every little girl, even the one that lives inside of each of us, that whatever we dream of achieving is possible.
Throughout her address, she remained inclusive and as she reflected on the generation of women that have been fighting for centuries, Harris stated, “I think about her (Harris’ mother Shyamala) and about the generation of women, Black women, Asian, White, Latina, Native American women who throughout our nation’s history have paved the way for this moment tonight”. Hearing her acknowledge these women and seeing that there is a paved pathway makes it all the more real that this is happening. After all these years, we finally have a woman in office.
Watching the address in tears, I realized how much it took to fight to get to where we are now, and yet we still have more to go. Kamala Harris not only acknowledged the women before her who paved the way, but she also reflected on the women that are fighting right now for justice. Harris stated, “Tonight I reflect on their struggle, their determination and the strength of their vision to see what can be unburdened by what has been, and I stand on their shoulders.” Her statement provides hope that the fight that we as a country have been fighting may come to an end. That women of color can stop being marginalized and finally have their voices heard.
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Center for Women’s and Gender Equity
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