Op-Ed: Harris 2024 … A New Ballot

In the last five years, Gen Z has come of voting age and they tend to be disillusioned with traditional political structures and parties, and are skeptical of mainstream politics. About eight million Gen Z are eligible to vote this year and of that number, 47% are BIPOC. YR Media’s “Control Z: #Vote2024” series examines the impact the young generation will have this election season and how more Gen Z candidates are looking to have a seat at the table.

This summer has been a whirlwind, from an off-putting presidential debate in June to a failed assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump earlier this month.

Election season has never been calm, and this one promises to stir one of the biggest storms yet. The most recent announcement from President Joe Biden stating his withdrawal from the 2024 race and endorsement for Vice President Kamala Harris reinvigorates what was becoming an somber election. Up until Sunday, some members of Congress and the Senate had been calling on Biden to step down.    

Slightly more than 100 days until the election, the quest for the Democratic nomination and millions more voters is now on. The odds are rapidly turning in Harris’ favor, which means the search for the right running mate is on. Governors from California, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Illinois are among potential names being floated. It’s crucial that the vice president match her starpower, but also add a face and region that less progressive voters can relate to as well. 

Like many Gen Z, Biden’s decision to step down did not shock me but more so put me in a state of confusion. What happens now? Could Harris really win against Trump?  

On one hand, I am energized, reveling in the historic momentum comparable to Shirley Chisholm’s bid for President in 1972. Yet, another side of me can’t help but feel hesitant. The entire country witnessed the war on Presidential nominee Hilary Clinton’s character, qualifications, and integrity in 2016 — a battle where most of the weaponry was directed at her being a woman. How will a woman who is Black and South Asian fare with the additional layers of race? 

Well, in the span of 24 hours, there had been an avalanche of support for Harris. One of the largest groups being Black women themselves, A Zoom call on Sunday evening amassed more than 40,000 Black women from across the nation coordinated under #WinWithBlackWomen and generated $1.5 million dollars in just three hours. By Monday afternoon, grassroots supporters set a record raising $81 million in donations. 

With key Democratic endorsements from Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Congressional and State Leaders, securing the nomination of the Democratic party looks even more likely by the hour. Could Vice President Kamala Harris, a Black and South Asian woman, become the 47th President of the United States?

The question everyone should ask themselves in this historic moment is “why not?”

It’s no secret that the race and gender of the candidate largely influences the success of their campaign. Becoming such a national figure inevitably means having control over the identity of our country, which inadvertently means your own identity is under tight scrutiny 24/7. “Misogynoir,” Moya Bailey’s term referring to the disdain and ingrained prejudice against Black women, accurately explains the root of most of Harris’ backlash. 

While her time as a California prosecutor drew criticism in the past, most of the contempt revolving around the vice president is simply because of her race and gender. It’s important to acknowledge that bias in our own thought processes and conversations. Just because we haven’t seen a Black woman become President, does not mean it’s impossible. 

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, who represents New York, shared the importance of getting on board quickly: “Now more than ever, it is crucial that our party and country swiftly unite to defeat Donald Trump and the threat to American democracy.” 

Already, Harris’ timely bid for President has coalesced the fragmented Democratic Party. She not only has a fresh opportunity to rebrand herself, but to either build on Biden’s rhetoric or create her own moving forward. No longer second-in-command, her campaign is uniquely positioned in a way where she can finally showcase her authentic voice and policy expertise. Her stance on most contemporary issues already mirror the ones of younger voters.  

I assume she will use this platform to further emphasize her administration’s outspoken support for women’s reproductive rights and gun violence prevention — two issues that would be on the chopping block if left to Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance.

I’m also hoping that her campaign will shed a new light on who Kamala Harris is — despite breaking the glass ceiling in nearly all of her former legal positions — her infectious laughter and line on coconut trees has overshadowed most of her achievements causing too many people to no longer take her seriously. 

While time will only tell if the country is ready for a female president, one thing is clear: Kamala Harris has a viable path to presidency. Whether she makes it to the finish line is up to us. 

Young voters are essential to the outcome of this presidency. Voters of color, especially the Black vote, is key in this election. Democracy and its very future is on the ballot this election. Regardless of your personal opinions or vendettas towards Kamala Harris — not voting would be a detriment to your own family, community and country. Choosing not to vote or voting for an independent is, in all honesty, a vote for Trump and his dystopian agenda. 

For years, we’ve studied the pivotal elections and presidents that shaped our history — and now we have the tools to write it ourselves. If you are tired of yesterday’s wrongdoings and desire a different tomorrow, then vote.

Information on Voter Registration can be found here: Voting 101 – When We All Vote

Cherie Animashaun is a sophomore at Cornell University studying Public Policy. You can follow her on Instagram @ her.risingg.

Edited by NaTyshca Pickett