As we catch glimpses into the White House filled by our new administration, we finally see a woman walking through the outdoor corridors on her way to world-changing meetings and events. This is a new sight for all of us: a woman in power, well respected, and taken seriously. For girls like me, Kamala Harris is more than just a historical name that students will someday study.
I don’t know what I’ll be undertaking in my future. Maybe I’ll be aiding a political campaign, writing articles in DC, or working at our statehouse. Whatever it’ll be, I’m a female who loves politics and government. I have strong opinions and I yearn to gain more knowledge everyday about new legislation.
I don’t think I ever realized my subconscious hesitancy to study politics until Kamala Harris was elected Vice President. During the inauguration, I was emotional. I wondered why I felt so deeply inspired, and realized that my hidden nervousness about succeeding as a woman in politics stems from what I witnessed as an 8th grader during the 2016 Presidential race. I saw a woman being constantly disliked simply for her strength and urge to make a difference in the world. I saw people making fun of the way Hillary Clinton dressed and talked, even though her opponent was evidently less intelligent. I saw her opinions be devalued because of comparisons to Donald Trump, who many thought was strong due to his manly appearance, but as we know, is extremely weak inside. I didn’t know it then and I wasn’t even involved in politics then, but I felt Hillary Clinton’s pain.
Although we suffered four years of Donald Trump, the future is truly bright. In just weeks, we’ll watch President Biden give The State of the Union Address with two empowered women by his side. People felt threatened in 2016 by the unusual sight of a female candidate. But look at us now, witnessing a female in the second most powerful role in the world, slowly making this unusual sight more usual.