Namrata Sharma

The long-awaited US elections were successfully conducted in this difficult time of coronavirus pandemic, ending the Trump era that people all over the world had been eagerly waiting for. However, whether Trumpism is Donald Trump’s focused philosophy or one that is embedded within a section of the Republic Party of the USA is yet to be seen. He and some Republicans are still holding on to their seats, showing a “looser characteristic” unfit for world leadership.

Breath of fresh air
The launch partnership between Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the US politics is indeed a breath of fresh air. This is not only because it indicates that right-winged politics cannot last forever in one of the oldest and biggest democracies, but more importantly because of the fact that Joe and Harris have broken boundaries on different fronts once again by portraying America as a country where dreams can be sought after and realised too.
Listening to Harris, Vice-President-elect of the USA “…I am the first woman in this position but definitely not the last…” gave goose pimple to many listening to her very powerful speech all around the world. Needless to say, it must have boosted the confidence and aspirations of millions of immigrants in the USA, especially women and girls no matter which colour they belonged to.
The new administration in the US will assume office on January 20, 2021. On this day, a black and South Asian-American woman will occupy one of the top two most powerful positions on earth. Harris has shattered several ceilings by being the first woman, that too of colour, to be second in line for the most powerful office in the world. Her election to this position is a political statement for women all over the world.
Harris had served in powerful positions as prosecutor and a senator before her nomination as candidate for Vice-President. The vice presidency carries formal and indirect powers which will be delegated to her and will give her a chance to shape policies. Many are eagerly awaiting Harris to play her exemplary role. Her record on criminal justice together with her knowledge of how it affects the black communities and her absolute grasp of immigration dynamics indeed give her a unique angle on one of the most important issues in the US which is of importance to many people all over the world. Her track record during her tenure as a Senator has been exemplary mainly on issues of social justice.
With Harris occupying the second most powerful position in her country, she has a challenging and probably daunting task at hand. She is now faced with the fact that she is carrying the weight of her ancestors from African/South Asian communities to this very powerful position. As the world and indeed the USA is still dealing with equal rights for all citizens, especially the marginalised communities and women of colour, Harris could be overwhelmed with challenges.
Harris is seen as a beacon of hope and a shining star to set policies right for the marginalised communities and women of colour, especially in her own country and in the entire world, to establish equal and just societies. As the first Black and South Asian-American woman Vice- President of the USA, Harris will be loved and looked upon as a game-changer in American political domain; however, she will likely face hostile resistance from those who want to oppose her policies simply because they are not comfortable with her mixed-race identity.
Her experience of already having served in the Homeland Security, Intelligence, and Judiciary committees will indeed be of advantage to her to play a leadership role in policy making both in the international and domestic fronts. She can now take leadership on issues like criminal justice reform, voting rights protections, health care, equal wages, within her country and all over the world. She will also have to be successful in fostering her working relationship with the President-elect Joe Biden to cater to the demands that people of colour, especially black women and men, have placed on her by voting for her.
The USA’s civil rights movement of the 1960s has seen world leaders like Dr. Martin Luthar King Jr., Ralph Abernathy, Jesse Jackson, and Thurgood Marshal, among others, who belong to the historically black fraternities and sororities. Harris too belongs to her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, having gone to universities like Harvard. Her sorority is powerful with the black community. However, in today’s black activism in the USA, these sororities and fraternities are associated with the elitists’ groups and not always aligned with the black Activist Class. Therefore, now that she is elected, she will be have to perform as per expectations of the American people on the Biden-Harris pair.

Daunting task ahead
Harris’s interesting mixed-race package as a daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India, interracial and married to a white man, and mother to the children of her husband has an appeal not only within the USA but all over the world. It probably also reflects family structures in western countries that today’s generation is coming to terms with. Although she faces a daunting task ahead, Harris, who is loved by people of colour and women and girls from all over the world, is already being seen as a stateswoman who champions their rights in the same league as legendary leaders such as Abraham Lincoln, King Martin Luthar and Barack Obama all of whom fought for the poor and vulnerable people during their terms in office.
A big congratulation to the vice president-elect from women activists from all over the world!

(Namrata Sharma is a senior journalist and women rights advocate. namrata1964@yahoo.com Twitter handle: NamrataSharmaP)