Wednesday’s presidential inauguration in the United States received a great deal of attention on both sides of the border — in part due to the election of Kamala Harris as U.S. vice-president, the first woman and first person of colour to serve in that role.
Harris, whose parents moved to America from Jamaica and India, has been an inspiration to many for her history-making role, including a Manitoba MLA who recently became the province’s first Black cabinet minister.
Audrey Gordon, a Progressive Conservative MLA and Manitoba’s new Minister of Mental Health, told 680 CJOB Harris’s election was an incredible breakthrough for Black and brown women and girls worldwide.
“Millions of girls … are now seeing there’s no limit to their dreams, and that they belong in every room where decisions are made,” said Gordon.
“For me, personally, it really impacted me deeply, because I know how important representation is, and how powerful it is for women — and especially women of colour.
“We’ve waited for generations to see ourselves at the higher levels of government.”
Gordon, who moved to Canada from Jamaica as a child, said watching the inauguration brought back memories of being in a new place and not seeing a lot of people who looked like her in positions of power — from her school days through to her career.
In her first speech as vice president-elect following the Nov. 3 U.S. election, Harris paid tribute to the women of colour who helped pave the way for her historic victory.
“Tonight I reflect on their struggle, their determination and the strength of their vision to see what can be unburdened by what has been,” Harris said.
She told children to “dream with ambition, lead with conviction, and see yourselves in a way that others may not simply because they’re never seen it before.”
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