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By BWSTimes Staff
On November 7, 2020, Kamala Harris made history; and what an incredible moment in history to witness. For the first time in history, there will be a woman and a person of color as Vice President of the United States of America.
A Black, south Asian woman who graduated from Howard University, a Historically Black University.
A Black woman, who happens to be a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. — the first historically Black Greek-lettered sorority, will become Vice President of the United States.
While we take this time to celebrate Vice-President Elect Kamala Harris as the first, I am encouraged that she will not be the last.
We must also recognize and thank Stacey Abrams, who rallied the Black vote in Georgia by registering more than 800,000 new voters in the state. Though Abrams was not alone in her campaign against voter suppression, surrounding herself with a squad of Black women who worked alongside her:
- Helen Butler, executive director of the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda.
- Deborah Scott, executive director of Georgia Strategic Alliance for New Directors and Unified Policies (GA STAND-UP).
- Tamieka Atkins, executive director of Pro-Georgia.
- Nse Ufot, CEO of New Georgia Project, and many others.
As we collectively celebrate this monumental moment in our American Democracy, it is essential to pay homage to our foremothers who came before.
The Combahee River Collective, a Black lesbian feminist organization, operates under the following belief system: “We realize that the only people who care enough about us to work consistently for our liberation are us. Our politics evolve from a healthy love for ourselves, our sisters, and our community, which allows us to continue our struggle and work.”
As I witnessed Black women’s collective power during this recent election, I can’t help but embrace our foremothers’ teachings in that we must unify through a shared anti-racist and anti-sexist framework.
The role of Black women was essential in this election, as the group comprises the Democratic Party’s most loyal and dependable voting. Black women are this country’s most powerful political force, and may the world never take for granted the hard work and labor of Black women.