Sen. Kamala Harris was named the running mate of Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden on Aug. 11, 2020.
Born to Indian and Jamaican parents, Harris has simultaneously become the first woman of color to be nominated for vice president, the first Asian American (regardless of gender) on a major political party’s ballot and the first second-generation immigrant on a political ballot.
For women, regardless of ethnicity, Harris has become a point of inspiration. In the time that she has been Biden’s running mate, she has already become a huge discussion starter worldwide. With the recent debates on human rights and the Black Lives Matter movement, along with the women’s rights marches in 2016, Harris’s nomination has solidified to the United States that Americans of color — particularly women — deserve to have representation equal to that of white men.
Chia Yang, a junior education major at Winthrop, believes that Harris’s nomination is a step in the right direction.
“Having Kamala Harris as a VP candidate empowers women of color because these women specifically lack representation,” Yang said.
Harris is the third woman to ever be nominated for this position in America, following Geraldine Ferraro, Walter Mondale’s running mate, in 1984 and Sarah Palin in 2008.
Combining this with the fact that she is the first second-generation American to be nominated shows the United States, and specifically Americans of color, that nothing is impossible.
“Being able to witness this first hand gives me hope for the future. Women and people of color are slowly beginning to have representation.” Ryen Cohen, a senior integrated marketing communication major at Winthrop, said. She also added that she finds Biden’s choice for a running mate “very empowering.”
“It’s good to see a woman in her position, especially a black woman. Biden could have picked anybody, but he chose to run with a woman of color,” Cohen said. “For me, this is great to witness.”
Having Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for vice president in modern America shows every minority group that not only do they have a voice, but that it is significant at a national decision-making level. For the better part of two centuries, the majority of American decisions have been made by primarily white men. Having a daughter of immigrants be the next possible vice president is a major step towards living in a more inclusive America.
Kiersten McCoy, a junior education major and women’s rights activist, was disappointed when Harris dropped out of the presidential race.
“I felt like she would be a phenomenal candidate, not only to run our country but to represent women/people of color,” McCoy said. “I felt hopeful when I heard of her nomination for the role of VP. Not only for the representation that she will bring to the cabinet during this upcoming term, but also that she will use her time as vice president as a springboard to run for president in the future,” McCoy said.
Harris set out to change America’s government, and she has done that just by being present on the electoral battleground. While her presidential campaign came to an end months ago, her time as the Democratic candidate for vice president is just beginning.
Photo by Jamia Johnson
