At the time I am writing this, it is November 7th. Joe Biden was announced as President-Elect just a few hours ago. The hope, relief, and motivation I feel are unmatched. Knowing that we will soon have a woman of color as our vice president is the most inspiring thing I can imagine during this tumultuous time. The fact that I will graduate from college and start my career under an administration that believes in science, human rights, and globalism is so comforting.
Joe—thank you for fighting for the lives and livelihoods of the American people. Thank you for addressing the nation in a unifying context. Thank you for supporting gender equality, marriage equality, LGBTQIA+ rights, and racial equality. Thank you for recognizing the devastating toll of COVID-19 on families throughout the nation and already working to make a plan to help people in the future. Thank you for your professionalism and your humanity.
Kamala—thank you for being someone that young girls of any race can look up to and know that they are capable of anything. Thank you for showing women that it is okay to stand up against men talking over us. Thank you for taking COVID-19 seriously and encouraging the country to do the same. Women belong in the White House.
While I write this piece full of hope and unity, I recognize the amount of work ahead of our country. However, what gives me confidence in this administration is that they see (and are already working towards solutions for) the struggles we face. Joe Biden has already stated that he will announce his COVID-19 task force team on Monday, November 09. He has also already mentioned his support for the LGBTQIA+ community in his first speech as President-Elect. We have elected a team that genuinely values both their families’ happiness and the happiness of families throughout the country and the world. We have elected a team that understands that the US is a global economy and that our actions as a nation have international consequences.
It’s the end of the Trump Era. There is hope for our democracy, there is hope for our livelihoods, and there is hope for a better tomorrow. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be leaders who work towards all Americans’ benefit, not just the people who voted for them. For four years, we have had to listen to a president who publicly shames people for their political opinions in a degrading and wholly unprofessional way. We listened to Trump encourage white supremacists to come out of the shadows; we listened to him spread obviously untrue conspiracy theories. Not anymore. The majority has spoken out in the name of truth and decency.
It is refreshing to not feel hated by the rest of the world for being an American. And to the Navajo Nation in Arizona and the Black women across the country who did the heavy lifting for this win, thank you. We owe our celebration and hopefulness to you.
Let’s get to work.