Can I just how proud and honored I am to be a black woman today? Exactly a week ago, we were all shocked and in awe of the insurrection that took place at the US Capitol. Much to no regard for the group of white supremists who felt the need to attempt the hault the democratic process in which many of our ancestors fought and were killed in our quests to vote as US citizens. Today I found myself yelling and screaming with excitement at the television, while my six year old daughter looked at me like I was crazy. She asked why I was acting that way as I screamed " Okkayy Kamala with the Black girl Magic" and " Yaaaasss Dr. Jill" "Come thru Chelly" (my name for former First Lady Michelle Obama because she is really my friend in my head). I told her because there was once a day that because Kamala Harris is a Black and South Asian woman she would not have been able to vote in this country, let alone be the Vice President of the United States of America. I, myself, growing up just minutes away from these federal buildings I never saw people that looked like me or anyone I knew on tv at these buildings and never thought it was for "us". It's something to be celebrated. Is she perfect? No. Will she be perfect? No. What she is doing is breaking barriers for women, especially black women all across the world to see that we too can achieve anything we work hard and set our minds to. She is a direct reflection of the diversity in our nation and why we cannot let others with small minds try to minimize us in our words or our actions and how we must continue to break those barriers to push through. She is an example to my child as well as others all over over world that you can and you SHALL do great things, even when others try to hold you back and break you down. Kamala once said in an interview she did with the hosts of the Breakfast Club radio show that "breaking barriers is breaking things and it's painful".
We see the joy in breaking barriers once they are completed but oftentimes forget the pain that comes along with it. We often get hurt in the process. People try to tear us down, tell us we are incapable, we're too young, we are women, that will never work,etc. We get scars along the way but the scars help to build us and make us stronger. The problem with barriers is that they are there to be broken and now our little girls and little boys can look and see that they too are able to break barriers as well. Will it be easy? Of course not. Will we run into obstacles and naysayers? Absolutely, but at the end of the day we must persevere. There are others watching who are looking to us to pave the way and set the example of how to overcome the old ways of thinking and acting and to emerge into a new day. So it is with joy that I say Congratulations to you Madam Vice President Kamala Harris and to President Joe Biden. Make us all proud...
