On Senator Kamala Harris...

The day after Presidential candidate Joe Biden announced Senator Kamala Harris as his choice for Vice President, we recorded a podcast. These are my comments on that show. I've slightly edited my raw, emotional response. 
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There is no excuse anymore for not pronouncing people’s names right anymore. It is 2020.

People who listen to the podcast and who know me know that I was elated about the selection of Senator Kamala Harris as the presumptive nominee for VP. I felt like it would be Senator Harris but crazier things have happened and it’s 2020.

I thought it was going to be Senator Harris but I had nervous energy because I am such a fan. And when it was announced, I was actually on a phone call and was receiving so many text messages that I knew something was going on.

And when I saw that Harris was the nominee, I cried. And the reason I cried was related to something I was thinking about from my childhood. My parents, as many Black parents do, tell their kids to work hard and recognize that you may have to work harder than others. You may have to show up in a different way. You know, there are these unofficial rules that you get from Black parents. And you hope you do everything “right”…whatever right means to honor your family and to make sure that folks know that you’re smart and intelligent and worthy and that you belong. And then as it relates to Senator Kamala Harris, we started to see these hits coming out that she's too ambitious and too strong and she has faults, etc. We all have faults. And I think I cried because it was a moment when I felt like she’s being herself, her excellent self, and finally there was some recognition for a Black woman at almost the highest level (I still think she would have been a great President and maybe she will be.) and it felt like a moment where I was so proud to be a Black woman. And that’s why the tears were flowing.

She could have been discouraged. The attacks on her when she was running for President and the comparisons and the lack of support for her from a financial standpoint could have meant that she could have easily been discouraged and said, “Screw this country. There's no place for me as a Black woman at the highest level of leadership in our country.” But she didn’t. And the way that she showed up was strong. It shows young women. All young women...what you can do and be when you overcome such hate and extreme obstacles at the very highest level and how you persevere and still show up in the way she is doing as our VP candidate. Now, to be clear, it should not be her burden to deal with such things. We should be better as a country and better as people and at the same time the way in which she has shown up after such horrible treatment (and it’s going to get worse) is just remarkable. I admire her for what she’s showing me and what she is showing my daughter and what she is showing young women in our country. It is something to be seen. This is history and we get to witness it and I feel very blessed.