*Explorers watched as Kamala Harris accepted the nomination for Vice President on August 19th. As Harris makes history as the first woman Vice President, we reflect on the winning articles and videos the students created.

1st Place Essay: By Alayna Kuhn

California Senator Kamala Harris made history as she accepted the nomination for Vice President of the United States on August 19, at the Democratic National Convention.  Senator Harris is the first woman of color to be nominated on a major party presidential ticket. She is now the running mate of former Vice President Joe Biden in the 2020 Presidential Election.  Due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the social distancing rules, there was no live audience at the ceremony.  But this did not change the importance of such a historical event. 

During her speech, Harris spoke passionately about her family and how much they influenced her life.  She talked about how her parents were both United States immigrants – her mother came from India and her father came from Jamaica.  After her parents separated, Harris’ mother raised both her and her younger sister mainly alone. Harris spoke about how strong her mother was and how she raised them to be proud of their heritage.  She also went on to talk about how much she values her husband, children, and other important family members and friends.   

Harris also spoke about her lengthy professional background.  She was a lawyer, a district attorney, an attorney general, and a United States Senator. This demonstrates that she is highly qualified and committed to helping others. During her speech she also addressed the current state of our country.  She talked about how our current President isn’t taking America’s issues such as systematic racism, climate change, and the Coronavirus pandemic seriously.  She also stressed the importance of everyone being treated equally when she made the powerful statement, “There is no vaccine for racism.”  This shows that she is in touch with this important issue that has been going on for years.  She acknowledges that there needs to be change and we need to work together. Harris suggested that in order for the nation to move forward in a positive direction, the best option is to elect Joe Biden as the next President of the United States of America. 

The nomination of Kamala Harris is truly a historical moment in so many ways. Just seeing Harris on that stage shows that despite the barriers that Black women face on a daily basis, we should remain persistent and keep moving towards our goals.  As people of color, it is obvious that we have the ability to change the world.  We are powerful, we are strong, we are intelligent, and we are caring! Harris will continue the legacy of the countless powerful Black women who came before her. Harris proudly mentioned these women during her speech to include those   such as Mary Church Terrell, Mary McLeod Bethune, Fannie Lou Hamer, Diane Nash, Constance Baker Motley, and Shirley Chisolm (the first black woman to run for President).  As a country, we have a long way to go to end racism and injustice, but this is truly a turning point!