London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

She Did It

She Did It

Despite the barriers, despite the pain, Kamala Harris becomes the first woman, the first Asian American, and the first Black American to be elected vice president.

When I interviewed Vice President–elect Kamala Harris last year at the Essence Festival, she had plenty of wisdom to share about the challenges a Black woman faces when pursuing national office. “Some might think that breaking barriers means you start off on one side of the barrier,” said Harris, who was running for president at the time, “and then you just turn up on the other side of the barrier. No, there’s breaking involved. When you break things, it’s painful. You get hurt. You may get cut, and you may bleed.

“It will be worth it, but it is not without pain.”

That last sentence captures the essence of Harris’s journey to the historic achievement of being the first Black woman, and the first South Asian woman, to be elected vice president. To get here, Harris-whose parents immigrated from Jamaica and India-had to endure some pain.

Aside from a few brief flashes of hope, the California senator’s presidential campaign never gained any real momentum. Critics picked apart her record as a prosecutor and an attorney general. Before the Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, chose her as his running mate, some party operatives complained that she was too ambitious and questioned whether she was a good fit. President Donald Trump pushed a birther falsehood about her. After her first debate with Vice President Mike Pence, Trump referred to her as a “monster” and “unlikable.”

Countless women can relate to what Harris went through. Women of color are often scrutinized more closely than others, and we are criticized in different terms. We are used to being told that we are too direct, too outspoken, too … something. Many of us have been punished for our ambition and had our passion mischaracterized as a threat. We are accustomed to being discounted.



To think about a Black woman holding such a lofty position in our political landscape is inspiring, especially in light of the obstacles Harris faced. But her rise does not necessarily represent a new reality for women of color.

When Barack Obama was in the White House, many on both the left and the right cited the first Black president as proof that the nation had progressed significantly on racial issues. But that notion was washed away by the election of Trump, which showed that Obama’s presidency had been an aberration, not evidence of an inclusive new norm.

Likewise, commentators will be tempted to Obama-ize Harris and characterize her vice presidency as evidence that women of color have arrived in a new position of power. While the political muscle of Black women is a real thing, Harris’s victory doesn’t erase the hurdles that Black women face on a regular basis.

No one should forget how much sexism and racism-the combination known as misogynoir-Harris has confronted, or the unrelenting misinformation campaigns waged against her on her path to the vice presidency.

No one should forget that even though the Biden-Harris pairing was ultimately victorious, millions of people voted for a president who gleefully belittled and insulted not only Harris but other high-profile women of color. No one should forget that because of ingrained stereotypes about Black women, Harris will have to tread more carefully than Biden did in the nation’s second-highest office.

Harris’s ascent to the vice presidency is certainly a reflection of what’s possible. She has accomplished something that no other Black woman has. I can’t help but daydream about Harris someday stepping one level up to the presidency. But for now, her vice presidency is worth celebrating because-however painful the process-she made it to the other side of the barrier.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
×