12 www.blackeoejournal.com Black EOE Journal
BLACK HISTORY: COVER STORY
H
istory was made and made again during the 2020 election. From the most votes cast in a presidential election in U.S. history to a wave of new, young, novice, minority and LGBTQIA+ representatives in Congress, the litany of firsts made an immediate impact, widening representation among our elected leaders and laying out a new landscape of inclusion and diversity. It was the election of Kamala Devi Harris, however, to the second-highest office in the country - making her the highest-ranking woman in the history of American politics - that tipped the scale and underscored its historic relevance. Though undeniably her highest accomplishment, Harris newest title, Madam Vice President, is just the latest in an enduring, ceiling-shattering career of firsts. This trailblazer is no stranger to making history.
Paving the Way
Long before her ascension to the vice-presidency, Harris resume of firsts had ensured her place in the history books several times over. First African-American, first South Asian-American, and first woman elected district attorney of San Francisco. First African- American, first South Asian-American, and first woman attorney general of California. First Indian-American woman and second Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate. Focused, determined, and passionate, her accomplishments can be traced back in part to her upbringing, her education, and a piece of life-shaping advice offered by her mother: Dont sit around and complain about things, Kamala. Do something.
Armed with Education
Harris monumental career is rooted in an educational foundation that provided a unique perspective and experience to her journey. As the daughter of academically inclined parents - both earned doctorates in their respective fields - the expectation was to excel. She earned a degree in political science and economics from the illustrious Howard University (chosen largely due to the fact that her hero, trailblazing lawyer and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, also attended). Immersed in and influenced by the unmatched cultural atmosphere offered by a historically Black college, she credits the experience as formative to her personal evolution.
LIVING HISTORY
Kamala Harris' pioneering path to the White House
By Jovane Marie
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