On November 3, 2020, the country spoke and cast their vote in one of the most historic elections in America.
While Americans may have voted on November 3rd, the results did not come in until a week later. November 7, 2020, when the decision was announced, the world took to the streets of cities like Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, and all over to celebrate the victory of former Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris.
On January 20th when Kamala Harris raises her right hand to become the first woman to take the vice-presidential oath of office, it will speak volumes to Black women all across the world. Both her African American and Asian American roots will continue to empower people across the world because these are groups who are almost always overlooked.
While the celebrations just begin, the work ahead is vital to reshaping the future of a country plagued by a past of poor treatment of the very people who helped to build it. It is a reminder that we can celebrate the win and the history behind it while simultaneously holding the new administration accountable for carrying out the promises made to secure the vote.
A Biden Harris administration means hope for women of color. It means encouragement that our voices will indeed be heard and because this moment means so much to women from past, present, and future generations, it’s only right that we hear it from their perspective.
Past generations like the one Sharon Yates belong to have seen the good, bad, and the ugly of this country, but still, they remain optimistic for what’s to come.
“Kamala Harris being elected as the first Black woman to hold the office of Vice President means we have come a long way, yet with all that is happening we have a long way to go,” says the retired Director of Secondary Education.
As one of 59 students to integrate Dinwiddie County Public Schools, the very school system she later went on to serve for 40+ years, this moment means a lot, but with the current state of America, she knows that the administration must be held accountable.
“President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris should be held accountable for all of their campaign promises, but top priority is the unification of this country,” Yates continued. “They should move swiftly to eliminate systemic racism and white privilege while also providing a framework for more resources to ensure that all children receive equitable and quality education that will provide them with the skills needed to live in a technological world.”
For the current generation, Kamala Harris as Madame Vice president goes beyond just her being a Black woman.
“Having representation matters!,” says Ebony Jones, one of the hosts from popular YouTube channel, Beytime and Unwine, “I think about the future generations that will see her and know that they too can achieve whatever their goals are.”
Future generations like Ariyanna Boose, 13-year-old CEO & Founder of the AriLoveCollection, who say this victory makes her happy and excited to see what’s to come.
“It’s like for the first time ever there is a person in charge of America who has something in common with me outside of just being Black,” said Boose. “I hope that now, women all over can understand that we have the power to do anything.”
While there is still much work to do, it is a very exciting time for change after what seems like a recent four years of chaos and uncertainty. As we look ahead, we remain hopeful that the Biden Harris administration will use its0 resources and power to tackle the challenge of a post-COVID world.
A world that, especially for America, still comes with many other challenges like the current state of the economy, race relations, and more, but with new faces in the White House, we can hold on to the promise that better days truly do lie ahead.
