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(David Goldman/Michael A. McCoy/John Bazemore/AP; Willie J. Allen Jr. for the Washington Post; Lily illustration)
Writer: Raven Harper
As you may know, we are getting closer and closer to November 3, also known as Election Day where we as voters can vote by popular ballot for the candidates of public offices at local, state, and national levels including the 2020 United States President. Currently, the two candidates are; President Donald Trump (Republican) and Former Vice President, Joe Biden (Democrat). As a presidential candidate, Joe Biden has to soon pick an individual as his Vice President running mate which is a very important decision because as Vice President, they become the President of the Senate, work very closely with the president, and are the next in line if the sitting president were to ever die or be impeached, so it is crucial that the person elected is chosen carefully. It is also very common for vice presidents to one day become or run for president. It has happened fourteen times in US history, including with former vice president, Joe Biden.
While there have been many conversations and controversies about Biden and some of his not-so greatest moments, his VP running mate is becoming a talking point, the reason being that he plans on choosing a woman, whom of which could be Black! In an episode of Joy Reid's MSNBC show, The Reid Out, Biden has confirmed among the potential candidates, four are black women, claiming they have been some of his biggest supporters his entire career.
“Black women have supported me in my entire career. They are the ones that the old saying goes, brought me to the dance. They have been loyal to me. So it is important that my administration, I promise you, will look like America both from VP to supreme court to cabinet positions to every major position in the White House.”
Unclear of what his picture of America looks like, it seems as though he plans to make his administration much different from how it currently looks under the Trump Administration. But back to the important part, four Black women are being considered for Vice President. If chosen and Biden is elected as the 2020 United States President, history will have been made (as the first woman and Black woman as Vice President in the United States history), and depending on the VP chosen, this could be a win for Black women all over. Perhaps, maybe an inch of the feeling we all felt when Barack and Michelle Obama entered office.
With everything that has been going on recently with the deaths of multiple innocent Black men and women, the lack of urgency and respect for Breonna Taylor, the ridicule and lack of empathy regarding Megan Thee Stallion’s shooting, as well as the recurring topic of the most disrespected, unprotected and neglected group of people in America, this could possibly be the pick me up Black women need right now in a world where it seems as though we for one are not respected or seen. While this decision does not make up for Breonna Taylor’s killers still walking free having fun on family vacations, this could send hope and confidence to millions of Black women all over.
Now you are probably wondering who these Black women are. Below I have listed all of those that sources close to Biden’s campaign told the Washington Post as the candidates that have made it to the vetting stage:
Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris, 55, married with two stepchildren, currently serves as the United States Senator for California, and has been doing so since 2017. She is from Oakland, California and received her undergraduate degree from Howard University (a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.), and a law degree from the University of California. She previously was a 2020 U.S. Presidential Democratic candidate alongside Biden but dropped out of in December.
Val Demings
Valdez Demings, 63, married with three children, currently serves Florida’s 10th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is from Jacksonville, Florida, and received her undergraduate degree in criminology at Florida State University, and a master's degree in public administration at Webster University Orlando. (She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.) 2007-2011, she became Chief of the Orland Police Department, making herself the first woman to lead the department. In early January, she was selected by Speaker Nancy Pelosi to serve as an impeachment manager in the Senate trial of President Donald Trump.
Keisha Lance Bottoms
Keisha Lance Bottoms, 50, married with four children, currently serves as the 60th mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, elected in 2017. She is from Atlanta, Georgia, and received her undergraduate degree in Broadcast Journalism from Florida A&M University (where she pledged Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.), as well as her Juris Doctorate from Georgia State University College of Law. She is the only mayor in Atlanta history to have served in all three branches of government, serving as a judge and city council member before becoming mayor.
Susan Rice
Susan Rice, 55, married with two children, formerly served as the National Security Advisor from 2013 to 2017 under the Obama Administration, as well as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. She is from Washington D.C. and received her bachelor’s degree in history from Stanford University as well as her master’s degree and Ph.D. in international relations from Oxford University, New College.
Stacey Abrams
Stacey Abrams, 46, formerly served as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 89th district from 2013 to 2017, as well as a minority leader. She is from Madison, Wisconsin, and received her undergraduate degree in interdisciplinary studies from Spelman College. She also earned her master of public affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School. She previously ran for governor of Georgia in 2018 becoming the first female nominee of Governor of Georgia, but unfortunately lost to Brian Kemp. In 2019, Abrams became the Chair for Fair Fight 2020, an organization to assist Democrats financially and technically to build voter protection teams in 20 states.
Karen Bass
Karen Bass, 66, mother of five, currently serves as the Representative for California's 37th Congressional District and has been since 2013. Born in Los Angeles, California, she earned a bachelor of science degree in health sciences from California State University, Dominguez Hills, with a master's in social work from the University of Southern California. In 2018, she was elected chair of the Congressional Black Caucus during the 116th Congress.
The other non-black candidates include; Elizabeth Warren and Michelle Lujan Grisham. Biden is expected to announce his VP running mate soon before his Democratic National Convention on Aug. 17.
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-running-mate-search-zeroes-in-on-group-that-includes-at-least-four-black-women/2020/06/13/d7278434-aceb-11ea-9063-e69bd6520940_story.html https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-narrows-vp-atlanta-mayor-four-black-women-in-race-2020-6
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