Photo courtesy of Office of Senator Kamala Harris, Wikipedia
Kamala Harris is making history as the first female, African American and South Asian vice president-elect of the United States. Additionally, she is the first woman of color to be nominated on a major party’s presidential ticket.
The fact that Harris, a biracial female politician who publicly expresses her diverse cultures, is in the highest office of the land is nothing to be overlooked. Girls and women worldwide will be looking up to the new vice president for generations to come, knowing that it is now possible for a woman of color to be one of the most powerful people in the world among the majority of white men. Not to mention the fact that more people or color will be motivated to participate in politics, a factor behind the historic African American voter turnout in this presidential election.
Harris does not fail to express that she is a proud daughter of immigrant parents. Her father from Jamaica and her mother from India both raised Harris to be proud of her cultures and traditions in this melting pot of the world.
A graduate of the historically Black Howard University, Harris began her political career as Bay Area prosecutor in California’s Alameda and San Francisco counties. She gained recognition when she was elected the first woman and person of color to be San Francisco district attorney and state attorney general. She then was elected the first Black United States Senator from California and has held the position since 2017.
Political opinions aside, there is no doubt Harris has made outstanding accomplishments and broken a deep-rooted mold that women worldwide are thrilled to see. What her accomplishment means to women, especially young women of color, is beyond what the country has ever seen before. A woman of firsts, she is creating a path for girls who hope to one day hold public office.
The day she was confirmed as vice president-elecy, Harris stated in her address to the nation in Wilmington, Del. in a suffragette inspired suit,“While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last.”
Without a doubt, Harris has broken the glass ceiling and is a living symbolization of the American Dream. It is evident the Biden administration will incorporate diversity into their office and evoke conversations regarding racial equality and justice among the nation.
