
On November 7th, 2020, Joe Biden became the President-Elect and Kamala Harris the Vice-President-Elect.
As an immigrant, as a woman, as a Black woman....these last few years haven't been easy.
America showed its truest and ugliest colors in the past few years, the racism was so overt and open, from telling people to go back to where they came from, calling Caribbean and African counties sh*tholes, Trump's degrading comments at women, there has been so much trauma in knowing that this was accepted from the "highest" position in the country.
2020 alone has been....the words don't even do it justice. The pandemic has taken so many lives while wearing masks or should I say not wearing them, became a "political statement." I saw as the economy and money was put above people's lives. And the lives lost to police brutality, the hurt we felt for the Black community to see our Black men and women shot down by the people supposed to protect us.
So as I sat there on Tuesday night, I truly felt the fear of going through another four years. Now, I will say I didn't think a Biden administration would be the end-all, be-all, but I know for a FACT it was better than Trump.
Tuesday night turned into Wednesday turned into Thursday and Friday and I have to say, I was disappointed to see how close this race was after all that was said and done. And so I have to say a shout out to Black women across the nation for being the backbone of our democracy. 91% of Black women voted for Democratic presidential elect Joe Biden in this 2020 election. In addition, Black women have also been on the front lines working to ensure that all eligible voters are able to have their voices heard at the polls.
Yesterday, I was in the kitchen. CNN was playing for the 5th day in a row on mute when I looked up and saw their projection of the winner! Honestly, it is like the entire day changed. People took to the streets to celebrate and I really felt a weight lifted off my shoulders. TRUMP IS OUT!
I am excited for the next four years to see some change, to see policies lead by science especially concerning this pandemic and global warming. For a fight for woman's rights and against abortion laws, for equality for all people regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation, for a President, I can actually sit and listen to. I know the work is just beginning and we need to continue to push for the policies we want to see, but for the first time in a long time, I feel some bit of hope.
And above all, I just feel so PROUD to be watching history unfold as Kamala Harris becomes the first woman Vice President. Take a moment and think about how we FINALLY have a woman in the Oval Office! This is so historic and so important for so many young girls across the nation and across the world to see.
I couldn’t help my emotions when I thought about how many women have fought to be heard, seen, and taken seriously. In the same way, racism is not at all in the past, the same is for sexism and misogyny. And as a black woman, we face both as a double minority. It's sad but I do prepare myself for my future career as a physician and having to prove myself and push to be seen and taken seriously in a way that my white male colleagues wouldn't have to.
I really love what she shared about what her mother would tell her:
You may be the first to do many things, but make sure you are not the last”
This is so important at this moment because we have to keep pushing the boundaries. It's why I am so passionate about having a strong community of minority pre-med students so we can all help each other achieve our goal and increase representation in medicine.
I am so proud to say my vice-president is a Black woman! She is a woman of color, a daughter of immigrants from South Asia aaaaand the Caribbean!! I can't help but imagine Dancehall and Soca will be playing in the White House!
But seriously, I am constantly inspired by not only the Black women in my personal life but also the fearless advocates and role models whom so many of us look up to.
I’m also inspired by the next generation, so many of my peers who have grown (and continue to grow) into STRONG and POWERFUL young Black women ready to make a change whether through medicine, policy, law, education, or any other way to work for our communities. You all inspire me every day!
It felt good to get these feelings out and just share my thoughts with you all.
Keep your heads up everyone!
xoxo,
Kye
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