The 44 Percent: Kamala Harris, Jill Tracey’s death, Breonna Taylor and more
When I saw the first news alert Wednesday morning announcing who the next president of the United States would be, I was reminded of an exchange between two men I'd interviewed for a story last month :
"Will America go appeal to the better angels of its nature, or will it go down to the lowest common denominator and succumb to the appeals of some of our most derogatory and base level instincts?" he mused. "We'll learn a lot about how far America has come on election day."
"And how far it still has to go," Ezra Dieuveille added.
And America told – or rather reminded us – who it is. A few adjectives come to mind.
Undoubtedly, Vice President Kamala Harris had an uphill battle: She was given three months to campaign after being thrust onto the top of the presidential ticket; she battled questions about her race even as she tried to focus on the issues; she was criticized for not giving interviews sooner or failing to motivate Black men, who emphatically voted for her.
People have already listed a litany of reasons why VP Harris lost: she didn't present a policy, or she had a weak policy, or she didn't talk about her policies, or we don't know who she is, or she's in office already, or they criticized why her policies weren't already being implemented, and the list goes on and on.
But it is hard to imagine – or for some of us, maybe it's not – that the better option was someone who has 34 felony convictions, who was twice impeached and hadn't held a public office prior to being elected president in 2016. Those same qualifications, or lack thereof, would disqualify a Black person. They would more likely be in prison.
Yet, even as some try to highlight Harris' policies as the reason she didn't win, for two weeks (and more) the conversation focused on questioning her Blackness, which then extended to attacking other racial minorities, including Haitians and Puerto Ricans. There was even talk of blaming Black men should she lose. Did people want to focus on her policies or were they simply trying to find a reason to disqualify her when her resume spoke for itself?
Harris is an accomplished woman, having become San Francisco's first Black district attorney, California's first Black woman attorney general and first Black woman U.S. Senator. You don't get to those roles or any level of success as a Black person lightly. It is always be twice as good. Her resume is long. Yet, despite being an accomplished person in her own right, America simply said, "No."
She was qualified, but not chosen — a tale as old as time for many Black women. And that tale is an irony, when the expectation is often for Black women to mule for others even when those others do not even see us as a whole human being.
In the effort to find a reason why Harris didn't win, people are dancing around the quiet part: America still has to confront its own racism and sexism. That's only reinforced by 60 United Nation member states having had women leading their countries, according to nonpartisan think tank Pew Research Center . As of now, 13 countries are spearheaded by women out of the 193 UN member states. Some have been led by women of color, including Barbados' Prime Minister Mia Mottley.
America still cannot bring itself to elect a woman, much less a Black woman. This decision is an indictment on America and the values it claims to hold dear.
For Black women, it is a reminder that we must rely on our communities we've fostered more than ever.
INSIDE THE 305:
'A remarkable voice': Miami radio legend and 'that girl' Jill Tracey dies at 60
November hasn't been but a week long, and it's been filled with mourning. Longtime South Florida radio icon Jill Tracey died last week. She was 60. The Detroit native, has made South Florida home since attending Florida Memorial University. In speaking with Tracey's friends, her life is a testament to what it means when you surround yourself with a loving community.
This Miami filmmaker tackles mental health and the Black community in documentary
I spoke with Liberty City native Antwon Lindsey about his documentary "HUSH," which explores mental health and the Black community. He also talks about how growing up in Liberty shaped him. Read more about him, his film and where you can watch his documentary.
OUTSIDE THE 305:
Tulsa elects first Black mayor and other Black firsts on election night
Black people made ground in the Senate, House and a few local races during election night. For the first time, two Black women , Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland and Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware, will serve in the U.S. Senate at the same time. Alabama elected Shomari Figures as their first Black person to represent the state in the U.S. House representatives since the 1800s. And Tulsa, Oklahoma elected its first Black mayor, Monroe Nichols .
Ex-officer Brett Hankison violated Breonna Taylor's civil rights in deadly raid, jury finds
Brett Hankison, an officer who fired shots into Breonna Taylor's home, was found guilty by a jury for violating her civil rights. As NBC News reported:
