Vice President Kamala Harris
On November 7, 2020 Kamala Harris made history by being elected the first female Vice President of the United States - shattering one major glass ceiling. Her victory speech acknowledged the generations of women of all races who paved the way for her to reach the achievement and she stated, “While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last, because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities” [1]. Harris will not only be the first female Vice President, but also the first Black Vice President, and first Asian-American Vice President [ibid].
While it may appear that progress has been made, it is important to reflect on the criticisms Harris faced when she was first selected to serve as Biden’s running mate. “Nasty”, “angry”, and “too ambitious” were just some of the labels Harris faced in less than 48 hours of her selection. Additionally, Harris faced questions regarding her qualifications for serving as Vice President, “despite being a former presidential candidate, the first African American woman to be elected district attorney of San Francisco and the first woman, first African American and first Asian American to serve as California's attorney general” [2]. These examples reinforce the barriers which continue to persist for women seeking to enter the political field.
Harris has made history, but the final glass barrier continues to remain intact - waiting to be broken.
1. Lerer, Lisa, and Sydney Ember. "Kamala Harris Makes History as First Woman and Woman of Color as Vice President." The New York Times. November 07, 2020. Accessed December 07, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/07/us/politics/kamala-harris.html.
2. Kindelman, Katie. "Women's Groups Say They Won't Let Sexist Attacks Stop Kamala Harris's Historic Vice Presidential Bid." ABC News. August 13, 2020. Accessed December 07, 2020. https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/News/womens-groups-sexist-attacks-stop-kamala-harriss-historic/story?id=72329604.