Celebrating Kamala Harris as She Shatters the Glass Ceiling

Don’t let the drama in the White House distract you from this historic achievement

Do you ever think about the guts it took for anyone to run for president against Trump? Let alone a woman? Let alone a Black, South Asian woman who is the daughter of immigrants?

At one of the most racist, misogynistic, sexist, xenophobic moments in history, Kamala Harris joined the race, putting herself directly in the crosshairs of millions of Americans who are looking for people just like her to take aim at.

Yet she stepped forward.

While Trump is just a small cog in the white supremacist, patriarchal culture of America and those who are paying attention know that his departure won’t magically fix the systemic issues that brought him into power, I think it was widely acknowledged that getting him out of the White House was a priority.

How could we make sure that would happen? Being a woman in a bid for a powerful governmental position in this climate would ensure a huge portion of people would not vote for her. Just because she was a woman. Americans are deeply uncomfortable with female leadership.

And a Black woman? Well, that’s a guarantee that they’ll lose a huge amount of votes. Because she’s a woman. And because she’s Black.

There was a split second when I, desperate to just get this man out of power, thought maybe the only way to accomplish that was to double down on the status quo: Are there any older, white men available for this job? For the most part, America will only get behind older, white, Christian, heterosexual men, so fuck it. Let’s appeal to the masses if that’s what we have to do to right this ship.

Harris had more tenacity than I did. More courage. More faith in humanity. And far more strength. She knew this wasn’t about one moment, one vote, one election. She’s got her eyes on the endgame.

She understood that you don’t enter the race only when you are sure you will win — you enter the race because this journey must be undertaken, despite the fact that we’re not going to get any assurances about the outcome. We just have to tie up our sneakers and start.

And that’s exactly what she did.

When her path to the presidency was thwarted, she stepped down, but didn’t quit.

Behind the scenes, more than 200 Black women had more vision and fortitude than so many of the rest of us. They knew embracing the status quo would do nothing to create sustainable change. Two older white men on the ballot might oust Trump, but little more.

What did we need to create real change? A Black female vice president.

In their open letter to then-candidate Biden, they wrote:

…it is a fact that the road to the White House is powered by Black women and Black women are the key to a Democratic victory in 2020. Black women are not only the most loyal voters for the Democratic party — we are key to igniting Black voters across all demographics to show up in record numbers. There has not been a Democratic presidential nominee in over 40 years that has won the White House without Black women’s leadership and vote — including President Barack Obama, President Bill Clinton, and President Jimmy Carter.

Out of all of us working toward the goal of change, they understood what we needed.

Enter Harris.

People disregarded her. Disrespected her. Ignored her. Erased her.

Trump has called her a “monster,” and a “communist.” He’s also reached for his favorite racist, xenophobic strategy in order to discredit her: birtherism. Her parents were immigrants and she’s a woman of color, so she can’t be an American citizen, right?

(Never mind that my father was also born in the United States to two immigrants and no one would ever, ever question his eligibility for any public office. Because he’s white.)

There were people who refused to pronounce her name correctly, like Fox’s openly racist journalist Tucker Carlson:

Political consultant Richard Goodstein: “Tucker, can I just say one quick thing because this is something that will serve you and your fellow hosts on Fox News well. Her name is pronounced ‘Comma’…like the punctuation mark…’Comma-la’, OK?”

Carlson: “So what?”

Goodstein: “I think out of respect for someone who is going to be on the national ticket, pronouncing her name right… is kind of a bare minimum.”

Carlson: “So I’m disrespecting her by mispronouncing her name unintentionally? So it begins; you’re not allowed to criticize Ka-MAL-a Harris, or KAM-a-la Harris…or whatever?”

Senator David Perdue joined right in last month. “Ka-MAL-a, Ka-MAL-a or Kamala, Kamala, Ka-mala, -mala, -mala, I don’t know, whatever.” Never mind that he had worked with Harris for years on the Senate Budget Committee. Guess he just “forgot.”

Sorry, guys. Harris isn’t waiting around for white men’s respect. She’s getting actual work done.

It’s months later and I’m sitting here crying because I just found out the election results have been called. Kamala Harris is our newly elected Vice President.

How do I express what this means to me as a woman?

After the last four years, I honestly believed that I would never see a female as vice president or president.

I feel overwhelmed with gratitude and awe that I am witnessing this historic moment. Finally, finally, a woman is in a position of power in this country. And she’s the first Black vice president. The first South Asian vice president.

This is all so exciting, but I also can’t help but think about the burden of being the first. And so many “firsts.”

Harris’ every move will be scrutinized under a microscope. Her every decision will be analyzed and often condemned. She will be held to a higher standard than any white male politician ever has.

In addition to that, she knows the impact her accomplishment will make on the women of this country. She knows people are looking at her to be their hero. She knows people are investing their deepest hopes in her.

What a weight to carry. One a woman — and most definitely a Black woman — shouldn’t have to carry, especially in light of how unbelievably low the bar is for white male politicians.

And how unfortunate (though typical) that her accomplishment was overshadowed by the current drama in the White House.

But these are discussions for the near future. Things to consider. To be vigilant about.

Right now, I think it’s important to pause and celebrate this historic event. To be grateful for this woman who so bravely kept swinging at that glass ceiling until it splintered. To be grateful for every person whose blood, sweat, and tears went into this victory. For every woman who contributed to this. For every Black woman who made this happen.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

© Yael Wolfe 2020

Because things are looking hopeful: