William T. Robinson, Jr.
Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate for president of the United States of America recently chose Sen. Kamala Harris as his vice presidential running mate. Not only was it monumental but historic and unprecedented. Sen. Harris is the first African/Asian American woman running on the ticket for vice president for the Democratic Party.
Sen. Harris is to be commended on her qualifications and strong leadership abilities that made her a formidable candidate among a prestigious list of noted and highly qualified women, especially Black women. Biden had made it known that he was considering a Black woman that would be a uniting agent in truly effectuating change. One may conclude that his decision may have been influenced by the Black Lives Matter movement occurring now, which demands diversity and inclusion in all institutions of this society.
Choosing Sen. Harris is a sign that presidential hopeful Biden is serious and realistic in making changes to help eradicate the racial tension permeating our nation. We are not going to act as if everyone is happy because of a plethora of personal reasons that abide in some Republicans or those Black or White voters who may not personally like Sen. Harris. But for those who are sold on eliminating the present POTUS, Sen. Harris is a welcomed blessing as the democratic vice presidential candidate. She has the intellect, stamina, and political prowess to hang with the big boys—as well as possessing the empathy and consciousness necessary to help restore what vestiges of morality that still exist in this country.
Like her or not, you must admit she is far from being passive and non-effective. She is no one’s fool or pawn. She is an intelligent, strong, proud, and politically savvy political opponent with a wealth of experience that shows she is capable of making strong important decisions when it counts, whether you like them or not.
We must realize that no one agrees with everything anyone does. However, we must be cognizant of Harris’ opponents and critics emphatically using her history as California’s attorney general and San Francisco’s district attorney to bring attention to her complicity and responsibility in the incarceration of a large percentage of African Americans. If that were the case, is it possible she could have thought she was doing the right thing at the time and then made corrections when shown about the reality of her actions.
One could ask, “Was she doing her job, or was she intentionally going out of her way to unduly punish African Americans?” I think if you are interested in the truth you will get an entirely different perspective about her, but that is if you are interested in the truth.
While most African Americans are ecstatic and proud about Sen. Harris being Biden’s running mate, you find some who seem to be obsessed with trying to bring her down for a myriad of reasons. Some reservations and reluctance to support her can be attributed to self-hate, jealousy, misinformation and manipulation by those in the Trump camp seeking to divide the Black vote.
Unfortunately, centuries of teaching African Americans to hate each other and refrain from being united may have contributed to some Blacks refusing to welcome her as a choice, although they continue to dismiss the racist and immoral practices of the POTUS and those in his party. Adding insult to injury, you find some African Americans who feel she is not Black enough having an Asian mother and Jamaican father. With our nation’s history of the White man raping and ravishing the bodies of so many female slaves, some could argue you won’t find too many African Americans in this country without traces of White blood in their DNA—accounting for the many different shades of Black skin (from peach to ebony).
Sen. Harris’ history mirrors that of a multitude of African Americans in this country in that she was raised by a single mother, was bused as a young child, and attended a predominantly Black university. She attended Howard University, a prominent and prestigious HBCU (Historically Black College or University) and pledged AKA (Alpha Kappa Alpha) an international Black sorority as an undergraduate. She has a history of achievements and accomplishments in all her career endeavors. She has manifested hard work, determination, and success in fields of law often dominated by men. She unapologetically manifests that ‘Black girl magic.’
Finding fault with Sen. Harris will not help in stopping the POTUS in his reign of racial division, immorality, chaos, and ineptitude. Why would anyone spend time vilifying and demonizing Harris’ character when many say we have the most unqualified, immoral and nefarious individual ever now occupying the White House? You have those who argue that any decent moral and rational person, whether Democrat or Republican, should be rallying together to remove this embarrassment from the White House. Harris on the Democratic ticket as vice president can be nothing short of a plus in toppling the current POTUS’ reign.
Sen. Harris may not have been your first or favorite choice, but without a doubt she is extremely strong, intelligent, and diplomatic as well as a welcomed representative of the diversity that this country so desperately needs. Congratulations Sen. Kamala Harris. I am sure you are going to do us proud as vice president of these United States of America. The world will experience what we all know: ‘Black women rock!’
