Sen. Kamala Harris Excelled at VP Debate, Despite Tried and True Microaggressions
Sen. Harris’ comment, ‘I’m speaking,’ resonated with Black women all over America
Last night’s vice presidential debate between Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence was visibly — and sonically — calmer than last week’s presidential debate. But for Black women, classic microaggressions took front and center on the stage. Harris knew exactly the challenges she faced, and she rose to the occasion.
While Pence consistently went over the two-minute mark for each issue (a rule that both parties agreed upon before the debate) and spoke over Harris, the California senator kept her composure, looked him in the eye, and told the vice president, “I’m speaking. Okay?”
So many Black women — including this writer — have been in conference rooms where they are “the only one.” Asserting yourself means risking being seen as aggressive. The other option means to shrink yourself. You repeatedly see White colleagues shoot down your ideas or take credit for them completely. And more often than not, you face the cringing moment where you stand up for systemic racism, only to have a room of colleagues say that the particular issue you raised is not racist at all.
