Lifting As We Climb was the official slogan of the National Association of Colored Women’s Club, a Black female communal organization developed as a response to the Women’s Movement in the 1890s. Their goal was to achieve equal opportunity in employment and housing, and to end racial violence. The birthing of this strategy has lived through Apartheid to The Sex Revolution, to the War on Drugs, and now, we all get to witness the reimagination of this revolutionary strategy created by Black feminists in 1896 with Vice President Kamala Harris on the ballot– and it’s shaken up a nation reluctant to welcome sustainable change.
On July 21, 2024, President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2025 presidential campaign. On the same day, President Biden would endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for the presidential race. Initially, there was skepticism, hopelessness, and fear-based conditioning on Kamala Harris’ endorsement; the community declared this decision would lead us down a path of illusion. Given that politics has evolved into a numbers game and there is a high possibility a convicted felon could be reelected to run our country, the community declared no time to entertain idealistic optimism. But, in the coming days, energy would begin to shift: more politicians were endorsing Harris as the Democratic nominee and advocacy groups of all races were holding virtual townhouse meetings in support of Harris’ candidacy; the people of America became instilled with unifying hope in politics again. Additionally, the opposing party began the predictable playbook of pushing negative propaganda revolving around Harris’ image. Despite their attempts to discredit her ethnic background, spread misinformation on her record as District Attorney, and accuse her of pandering her blackness for votes, Kamala Harris would soon become the official Democratic nominee for President of the United States and would incite fear.
If there is one thing we can collectively acknowledge about Vice President Kamala Harris, it is that she is a fearless, judicious leader who also happens to be Black and South Asian. Her devotion to justice for all is reflected through her educational background, graduating from Howard University and University of California, Hastings College of the Law. She began her early career as a prosecutor in the 1990s, specializing in sexual assault, homicide, and robbery cases, then becoming the first woman to serve as District Attorney in San Franscisco from the early 2000s. Although historically, the establishment of American policing is a systemic strategy to enforce white supremacist dominance over marginalized communities, the direction Kamala Harris took was one of service and to protect the well-being of the victimized (this is clearly indicated by her response to the killing of Sonya Massey to call for active reforms governing police brutality).
During Harris’ campaign events, we are witnessing a woman who has stepped into her role of responsibility. The self-assurance in her stride while taking center stage, the conviction in her voice when delivering intentions replicating the Black Women’s movement, and the poise she embodies as a response to the Republican Party’s attempts to diminish her image are clear indications that this is a woman of empowerment. And, as writer and professor Audre Lorde once stated, “empowered women are dangerous.” But why would a woman, standing up to the plate, reimagining a modernized revolutionary plan, historically established by the Black Women’s movement, declaring equality for all, be deemed as dangerous? Could it be that the illustration of an alleged modern revolution would potentially dismantle and reconstruct the foundation of a social system benefiting only a certain body of people? Of course it does. The illusions of dominance and power instilled by patriarchal white supremacist systems would be eradicated and these particular people, incited by greed and superiority, would now have to share.
On Tuesday, September 10th, the evening of the first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, we bore witness to the unconscious experienced fear reminiscent of the Confederate Party: the loss of White supremacist statutes under the guise of White privilege. Although the topics discussed during the debate included concerns of the American public such as reproductive rights, economic structure, and environmental policies, very striking comments were made regarding Harris’ potential service of leading this country. Trump attempted to incite fear in his party by suggesting her image represents the continuation of Marxism, which confirms the rationale behind my perspective on the opposing party’s fear of revolution dismantling systemic, oppressive structures where they once benefited. Harris has denied all claims of being a Marxist, hating Israelis and defunding the police. However, the fact that she is a woman, her biological father’s professional background, the color of her skin, and her campaign’s focus on social and economic fairness for all mankind are qualities that incite an extremist perspective from a body of people who are afraid their privilege is running out of time. The America they once believed would be sustained forever, one of class, hierarchy, oppression, and greed, would be overturned and they would soon become the minority. And, given the historical perpetuation of imperialism and dehumanization of the marginalized body, it comes as no surprise as to why those who are conditioned by White supremacist thinking would be a bit scared.
There is a prolonged need to address the safety of minorities in not only this country but also in other countries where colonization exists. With a contradictory stance on justice for Palestine with humanitarian aid for civilians of Gaza while simultaneously announcing continued military aid for Israel, a challenge is presented to the current administration and our future President on whether the protection and safety of minority communities and countries will continue to be a political concern that is continuously deemphasized. These issues include police brutality, mass incarceration and wrongful convictions, and mortality rates due to healthcare corruption. Additionally, on the topic of gun control, Kamala Harris stated, during her Oprah Winfrey interview), she intends to enforce the monitoring of assault weapons while still honoring the Second Amendment. So, if her administration continues to allow the ownership of guns, will Black and Brown people continue to be criminalized and killed like Philando Castile? Harris’ neutrality and avoidance can be seen as a safe play but does the safe play have to be at the cost of Black and Brown lives? With the campaign being driven by humanitarian philosophies, it is hoped that the country will develop the courage to raise awareness about these issues and have a definitive plan on how they aim to cease violence against Black and Brown people.
For the past couple of months of this presidential campaign, we still have the majority of Americans hesitant, indifferent, and/or indecisive on how they intend to cast their vote; it comes as no surprise as to why. Former President Donald Trump even having the privilege to run against a well-educated, successfully careered, politically savvy, poise and confident Black woman is the epitome of how White supremacy has benefited from White mediocrity. There are a body of Americans who defy this woman’s character as performative in the guise of resisting identity reductionism, who dissect what she represents through dehumanizing accusations of promiscuity (a historically stereotypical trope of the Jezebel), and who continue to turn a blind eye to her soluble plans for revolution due to their internalized racism.
White supremacy is so embedded in the cultural corruption of this country, most people would dismiss, deflect, or deny claims of their disdain for Kamala Harris simply because she is Black and a woman. However, complacency with a corrupt system has become comfortable to most and the uncertainty of what revolutionary change can look like brings forth a sense of discomfort. We have become so familiar, so reliant, and so content in living in a society built off violence, greed, racism, sexism, homophobia, corruption, and capitalism that we are scared to heal. If anything, Vice President Kamala Harris represents a climactic point in the healing of a nation that has become numb to historic, generational trauma. And, if you find yourself unwilling to break free of the unconscious bound to White Supremacist thinking, I truly believe, that is what scares you.
