On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Sen. Kamala Harris — one of the two Democrats representing California in the Senate — announced her candidacy for president in 2020.
In 2016, Harris became the second African American woman and first South Asian American woman to be elected as a U.S senator. Before her time in Congress, she served two terms as District Attorney of San Francisco and then as California’s Attorney General.
If she were to win the presidency, it would be quite a historic moment.
To have a woman of color in the oval office would send an empowering message throughout the country and to world.
It tells young girls and people of color that they have the potential for greatness as well. There are 59 countries that have had a female leader.
Electing the first black and female president would show to world that America is a powerful place of diversity and its democracy serves for the people.
Harris would be become a positive symbol of a progressive and inclusive future.
She is already an inspiration to many young women and people of color.
To see her hold the most esteemed position in the United States would signify America working to overcome its history of racism that has been used as a divisive force.
Harris would certainly be a powerful voice representing many communities that have been historically marginalized.
She will prioritize their needs.
She is already making criminal justice reform a prominent part of her platform, tackling an issue that disproportionately affects the black community.
Harris has already acted upon this by requiring bias training for police during her time as attorney general.
She is bold and ambitious and would undoubtedly continue working to provide equal opportunity for all people.
The Trump administration has been unreceptive to the needs of many marginalized communities which has created tension and frustration throughout the country.
Harris would be able to address these needs of the people and work to heal the deep divides of political polarization making her an excellent candidate for presidency.
Harris is more centrist than other potential Democratic candidates and she thinks objectivity with an open mind giving her a wider appeal.
While Harris does not politicize her position as an African American and Indian woman, she would still certainly serve as an excellent role model to the future generations.
While Harris’ name may not be widely recognized outside of California, she could be a unifying force for the country.
Harris proposes preparing workers for the future workforce in which industries heavily rely on technology and automation and raising the minimum wage by binding it to the rate of inflation.
By addressing this shift in the economy, Harris could win over many of the working class voters who had aligned themselves with Trump in 2016 in hopes of providing security in their jobs. People want someone who will be an advocate for their needs and Harris is more than ready to fulfill that role.
Harris was born and raised in Oakland, Calif., to immigrant parents during the tail end of the Civil Rights Movement.
A week after declaring her bid for presidency, Harris held a rally in her hometown to officially launch her campaign promoting herself as a champion of the people.
In a message of unity, Harris encouraged her 20,000 supporters in attendance to not allow those in power now to turn the people against themselves.
She talked about the need for the bigotry facing America today to be dealt with and to protect democracy and the American dream.
In her time in Congress, Harris has aligned herself with Democratic ideology with a record of supporting legislation that protects the environment, raises wages, expands childcare, reforms the justice system and provides affordable healthcare.
Harris wants to create a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, cut taxes for the middle class and pass common sense gun laws.
She pledges to continue working for these efforts if she were to be elected president.
Catherine Van Weele is a freshman studying political science.
