I remember my father telling me that once I entered the workforce, I would have to work 110% harder than most people, simply because I’m a Black woman. Growing up, my father taught me what life would be like as a Black person. He taught me that there would be times when I would be mistreated because of my skin color, suffer from job discrimination, and be scrutinized for simply being a woman. Over the years, I’ve witnessed police brutality towards Black people, equality rights being mishandled by the government, and just two years ago, Roe v. Wade being overturned. These are the things my father warned me about, and all of the lessons he taught me stayed true leading up to the 2024 presidential election.
This election ended on a note that left me with uncertainty. After learning that former President Donald Trump won his second term, my stomach dropped. I’m all for people voting for the candidate who speaks for them, as it’s one of the most important aspects of a presidential election. But take what I’m about to say with a grain of salt: Trump is not fit to be president. Vice President Kamala Harris was my personal choice for the presidency, not only because she stands up for the rights of many people, but because she’s the perfect embodiment of a strong Black woman. Harris was District Attorney of San Francisco, Attorney General Of California, and served on the US Senate before taking on her role as Vice President. Since becoming VP, she’s made countless strides for maternal health, Medicaid and Medicare coverage, combating climate change and extending energy production, and helping to implement the student loan forgiveness program. But despite being overwhelmingly qualified to be president, Harris was still doubted.
Harris’s loss was a loss to all Black women. It proves that no matter how hard we try, things never work out for us. That no matter how much we hope for things to work out in our favor, we’re left disappointed and hurt in the end. Black women always seem to get the short end of the stick despite being the most educated demographic in America. Frustrated is the word that I know a lot of Black women are experiencing right now as Harris’s loss genuinely feels like a slap in the face after everything Black people, women especially, have experienced over the years.
People of color have suffered centuries of undying hate and cruelty. Our ancestors spent countless days on cotton fields wondering when their well-deserved rights would be granted. Seeing Harris fight to be in the Oval Office taught me how to stand true to my voice and power. I adored her presidential plan of implementing tax benefits for working and middle-class families, protecting abortion rights for women, and wanting to fix the broken democracy of American society. Her campaign spoke to me on a level that no other figure had before. For the first time in my life, I felt that I mattered as a Black woman.
Harris running for president meant a lot to many Black women. Her candidacy represented hope for minorities and gave voices to Black women who were too afraid to be faced with rejection from the government. Harris stood for breaking the racial and gender barriers and creating a union for all people. Little Makalah may not know much about the importance of having a voice, but at least she took in everything from her father on what it means to stand up for yourself, once and for all. I just wish that little girl got the chance to see a powerful Black woman finally be in a position of power.