“But while I may be the first woman in this office, I won’t be the last. Because every little girl watching me tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.”
These very words were uttered by a woman who possessed a courageous and strong personality. The word ‘strong’ does not suffice to explain the various qualities she endows, for, through those qualities, she was able to achieve so high a position, which was once considered to be quite an astonishing achievement for a woman to accomplish.
Women have always been the victims of harsh remarks and criticism. Their perspectives, their ideas, their words were not to be, by any means, involved in any discussions and conversations. Many years ago and some still now believe that women should only belong in the kitchen, or the house, taking care of the children, while the men should work and earn for the family. However, thanks to certain women, who, have proved all these statements wrong, the world has now looked forward to women’s opinions regarding various global issues.
The quote that stands at the very beginning of this paragraph is said by a woman, who too, has shown that women can perform amazing things. This woman, who goes by the name of Kamala Harris, has not only inspired thousands of other women, young or old, to pursue their dreams but has also created such an event that will be remembered throughout American History.
As an introduction, Kamala Harris is an American politician and attorney who assumes the position of the 49th and current vice-president of the United States. Not only that, but she is also the first female vice-president in the history of the US.
In addition to being the first female vice-president, she is also the first woman of colour, the first Indian-American, and the first woman of Afro-Jamaican descent to attain such an echelon.
Kamala Harris was born in Oakland, California, on the 20th of October, 1964. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was a Tamil-Indian biologist whose contribution in the research of breast cancer and whose work, which was based upon the progesterone receptor proliferated advances in biology. Her father, Donald J. Harris, was of Afro-Jamaican descent and obtained a position as a professor at Stanford University. He had also received a PhD in economics. Kamala Harris also has a younger sister, whose name is Maya Lakshmi Harris. She is a lawyer, public policy advocate, and writer.
The family, at one point in time, resided in West Berkeley, an area that contained a major black population. Kamala and her sister also visited their mother’s family, who lived in Chennai. According to Kamala Harris, it was there, that she was influenced to a great degree, by her maternal grandfather, P.V. Gopalan, whose perspectives regarding democracy and women’s rights, as a retired Indian civil servant, roused her interest in the topic.
Kamala Harris’s educational background is admirable. In 1981, Kamala Harris graduated from Westmount High School, located in Quebec, Canada. One of Kamala’s friends, Wanda Kagan, who studied in the same high school stated how Harris had aided her when she had been molested by her stepfather. She then added that this activity inspired Kamala Harris to protect women and children, as a prosecutor.
On the 1st of September, 1986, Kamala Harris graduated from Howard University, earning a degree in political science and economics. This was the commencement of her journey as an attorney and politician.
In the following years, Kamala received quite a lot of opportunities, some of which were deputy district attorney, attorney of San Francisco, and also serving as the attorney general of California.
Through securing herself in these respectable positions, she was identified as a woman with the potential to become president. Kamala Harris, had in herself, the strength, the perseverance, the passion, for which she was able to accomplish her dreams.
However, it was not long before Kamala Harris was able to create a new chapter in the history of the United States.
On the 11th of August, 2020, Joe Biden, the current president of the United States, chose Kamala Harris as his running mate. And, in the following year, on the 7th of November, she acceded the position of vice-president, becoming the first African-American, Indian-American, and the first woman of colour to do so.
Through her diligence over the years, Kamala Harris has authenticated that women can do the impossible. She has shown that no matter the race, skin colour, the gender, people can achieve their dreams, if only they are focused and passionate.
“What I want young women and girls to know is that you are powerful and your voice matters.” Another quote by Kamala Harris, who has proven the impossible.
About 50 or 60 years ago, women were prevented and restricted from pursuing their dreams, as people considered them to be of ‘no use’. People stated that women should only belong in the kitchen, and today, a woman of colour proves all those theories wrong and attains the position of the first woman vice-president of the United States.
