Not only is Mike Pence officially (and finally) out of the White House, but a woman of color took his career. Vice President Harris committed herself to a life of public service, and now she’s the highest-ranking, most powerful female in the United States government. Though she isn’t perfect (who is?) we can all take some of her words of wisdom to heart!
“My mother had a saying: ‘Kamala, you may be the first to do many things, but make sure you’re not the last.’”
Being the first of anything is a major accomplishment in itself, but the responsibility also lies on you to be good enough for more people to follow in your footsteps. Kamala Harris faces this challenge not only because of her gender, but also her race. People will rag on her and attempt to bring her down, but it’s her duty (whether it’s fair or not) to give them no reasons to complain. Vice President Harris is a trailblazer who looks toward the future and wants to make the United States a better, more progressive place for future generations.
“Our unity is our strength and diversity is our power.”
The past administration almost ruined any chance for unity in our country and left the current administration with a lot of work. Kamala recognizes her duty to inspire the country while embracing diversity. We all need to focus on what we can do to bring the country together and strengthen our democracy. Vice President Harris understands that unity doesn’t mean erasure of diversity, and the United States needs to understand the power of diversity as well.
“I’m speaking.”
Taken from the iconic Vice Presidential debate where Kamala Harris stood up for herself when Pence attempted to interrupt her, this quote shows how the simple act of being a woman seems to give some men the idea that they can speak over us. It’s important for all women to remember that we don’t deserve to be spoken over and we need to know our worth! Harris stood up for all women that night, putting Pence in his place and not giving into his bullying tactics.
“You never have to ask anyone’s permission to lead. Just lead.”
It takes courage to lead, especially through a global pandemic. Harris has been fighting the pandemic head-on via her influence and government position prior to the election. She didn’t ask for anyone’s permission to lead others in the country through these difficult times, she did it because it was the right thing to do. Yes, she evidently had to ask the U.S for permission to lead, but she didn’t wait for an answer to use her power for good!