I’ve been trying to come to terms with everything that’s been happening over the past few weeks. I’ve not yet figured out everything I’m feeling or everything I want to say.
But Kate McKinnon’s performance in SNL’s cold open said it all.
McKinnon performed as Hillary Clinton singing “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. First of all, this was a beautiful tribute to Leonard Cohen and his achievements. Bravo, SNL.
What was most beautiful, however, was the grace, strength, solemnity, and hope with which McKinnon performed as one of her signature characters. In the wake of Clinton’s loss to Donald Trump, this performance spoke to all the emotions I, and her millions of supporters, have been feeling.
When I realized that Donald Trump was going to be our next President, I cried on election night. I cried for every American that didn’t fit into Trump’s promises for a great America. I cried for Muslims, Latinos, African Americans, the LGBTQIA community, people with disabilities, victims of sexual assault, and women.
I cried because voters had validated the hatred and fear on which Trump had built his campaign. I cried because voters had shown that they didn’t care about all the horrible things he said and did. I believed that America would renounce Trump’s hatred, and when it didn’t, I was crushed. America did not look the same to me, and I was afraid.
Perhaps most of all, I cried because I thought I had voted for America’s first female president. I thought that the highest glass ceiling had finally been broken. It is still unbroken, and this hurts me as a young woman.
I’ve not known how to express these emotions this past week, but McKinnon’s “Hallelujah” rendition struck a chord with me, especially in the third verse. I believe it moved her as well, as you could hear the emotion in her voice.
“I did my best, it wasn’t much
I couldn’t feel, so I tried to touch
I’ve told the truth, I didn’t come to fool you
And even though it all went wrong
I’ll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah”
Hillary was a champion for so many Americans. Her platform strived to work for everyone, especially those who have been historically marginalized. She didn’t come to fool us. She tried her hardest, but in the end, it did not go the way that so many had hoped for.
I woke up afraid on November 9, but I decided that I could not be fearful, because that is how Trump wanted me to feel throughout his campaign. I will not fear, because Hillary wanted me to be hopeful. The future I had imagined for myself with Hillary Clinton as my president is gone, but I cannot lose hope. We cannot lose hope. We can’t give him the power to make us afraid.
McKinnon shared this hope as she ended her song saying, “I’m not giving up, and neither should you” before closing with the signature “live from New York…”
This was exactly what I needed to hear after the rollercoaster of emotions this election has caused. Thank you Saturday Night Live and Kate McKinnon for reminding worried Americans that we can survive any hardship, as long as we have hope. If you care about your future, our future, then you can never give up.