The election of Sen. Kamala Harris as vice president of the United States means my daughter sees her future. Children, teens, young people, people of all ages can see that they have the possibility and a path to reach one of the highest levels of leadership in this country and change the world.
Harris will be the first woman, first Black person, first South Asian American to be elected U.S. vice president. Many people in this country see themselves in her – women, people of color, immigrants.
She is the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants. She also brings an interfaith perspective to the White House, with a mix of her Christian faith and Hindu heritage and her husband’s Jewish heritage. She is a wife and a mother. She symbolizes how much we are all “one” in so many ways.
For many people of color and women who have been marginalized and wonder if they are welcome and if they belong, she shows them they definitely belong. This is our country. It is for all of us.
Kamala Harris brings many perspectives to this role that go far beyond the “firsts” that she’s attained in her legal and political career. Yet being first and showing outstanding capability and authority throughout her career is inspiring – as California’s first Black and Asian American attorney general, the first South Asian American woman and second Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate.
She also recognizes that there were many other women of color who helped pave the way for her to reach these heights – from Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress, to Carol Mosley Braun, the first Black female U.S. senator to the women who founded her sorority.
The first sorority for Black college women, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., was founded in 1908 by women at her alma mater Howard University, a historically Black college. In addition to her family, she applauds and reminds us of a historical legacy of “firsts” that also helped her reach her goals.
What I found most interesting in discussions with many people about this historical achievement – the first Black woman elected vice president of the United States – was the reaction of my 15 year-old daughter.
Her reply when I asked her what this moment means? “It means we have to keep fighting,” she said.
“Having the first Black female vice president is inspiring, especially because I want to go into politics,” she said. “I feel like I can connect with what she’s saying. I think she will inspire more kids to get involved in politics.”
“On the other hand, people may use the fact that she’s a Black, South Asian American female vice president as a reason that we now don’t have to talk about racism and sexism. But we can’t stop talking about it just because she’s won and is going to become vice president now. We have to keep fighting.”
This op-ed first appeared on CNBC.com.
Sharon Epperson is CNBC’s senior personal finance correspondent.
Sharon Epperson, CNBC
As CNBC's personal finance correspondent and senior commodities correspondent, Sharon Epperson reports on personal finance for the network and also covers the global energy, metals and commodities markets from the floor of the New York Mercantile Exchange. In addition to reporting for CNBC and CNBC.com, Epperson is a regular contributor on NBC's Today and Today.comand appears frequently on NBC Nightly News, MSNBC and NBC affiliates nationwide. She also frequently reports for Public Television's "Nightly Business Report," which is now produced by CNBC. Her book, "The Big Payoff: 8 Steps Couples Can Take to Make the Most of Their Money—and Live Richly Ever After," was a finalist for the Books for a Better Life Awards, honoring works that have "changed the lives of millions." She also was a contributing writer for "The Experts' Guide to Doing Things Faster." Epperson's personal finance expertise has been featured in numerous publications, including USA Weekend, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Self, Essence, Ebony and Time, where she had covered business, culture, social issues and health as a correspondent prior to joining CNBC. She is committed to improving financial literacy, particularly in underserved communities. She has been invited to the White House to speak about financial literacy and to moderate a public meeting of the President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability at the U.S. Treasury Department. She also speaks frequently at conferences and events for local and national organizations, colleges and universities about many facets of personal finance. Epperson has received the Vanguard Award for her distinguished career in business and personal finance reporting from the National Urban League Guild, the All-Star Award from the Association of Women in Communications and the Gracie Allen Award from the American Women in Radio and Television for a series of reports on female CEOs. She also has won awards from the New York Festivals, the New York Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Black Journalists. An adjunct professor at Columbia University's School of International Public Affairs for more than a decade, Epperson enjoys teaching the importance of budgeting and building long-term savings as part of her course on professional development for graduate students interested in media careers. Epperson received her bachelor's in sociology and government from Harvard University, and a master's of international affairs degree from Columbia University. A Pittsburgh native, Epperson lives with her husband and two children in Westchester County, N.Y.