As of November 7th, Kamala Harris became the first woman, first woman of color, and first South Asian-American, to hold the title of Madam Vice President—surpassing Nancy Pelosi as the most powerful woman in Washington, D.C.
There is no shortage of “first’s” that have granted Harris her new elected title of the new Vice President of the United States (U.S.). However, Harris is not new to breaking barriers in the world of politics.
After attending Howard University and becoming a career prosecutor in California, she was elected as California’s first woman, person of color (POC), and Asian-American female attorney general in 2010.
In 2016, she became the second POC and first South Asian-American senator in history—coincidentally sworn in office by Joe Biden, the current president of the U.S.
When running for office, Harris was the fourth woman to be on a major party’s presidential ticket, following Geraldine Ferraro, Sarah Palin, and Hillary Clinton, however, she’s the first to win a position as the others ultimately lost their races.
In winning a position in office, she now represents a larger, diverse margin of the population of the U.S.—both culturally and racially—and created an image of possibilities for many Americans.
To her own four-year-old great-niece, she inspires her by saying “you can be president but not right now, you have to be over the age of 35,” as seen in a shared moment between them.
This is a new moment in American history. To even think that barriers have been broken, not only the glass ceilings but in an era of such racial reckoning in the US creates hope.
For millions of young women, November 7th marked the day when they realized that they do have a place next to the highest power of the land, and eventually, a spot in the highest power of the land too.
