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The Meaning of Kamala Harris’ Win, According to 11th-Graders
Teen girls, as many of us know well, can be ruthless in their honesty. So it’s fairly fascinating to get a peek at the way 10 AP U.S. History students view our country’s first female vice president. Caroline Kitchener writes in The Lily about Brittney Caldwell’s Atlanta high school students:
The students recognized the significance of the moment. It was exciting to see a Black and Indian woman take the stage on Saturday night, declaring victory as the country’s first female vice president. But as Democrats across the country sprayed champagne and danced in the streets, Caldwell’s 11th-grade class was more cautious: After all, one student said, President Barack Obama’s historic tenure ended with the country electing Donald Trump.
The girls’ reactions ranged from shock to delight to cautious optimism. Some voiced the opinion that this didn’t necessarily mean a sea change in American life, noting that Obama’s presidency was a big step forward… that was followed by what felt like “20 steps back.”
But still, there was room for dreaming big. As one of the students said, “In 2024, maybe we’ll have a Black woman president and a Black woman vice president.”
