History in the Making!

I clearly remember the night of November 8, 2016. It was my birthday and I'd spent the evening with a bunch of women toasting another year of life. I went to bed with every expectation that I would awake to find that our nation had elected the first female president of the United States, a seemingly fitting end to a night of female comradery and sisterhood.

I was wrong.

This year, on November 8, 2020, I was scrolling through my social media and came across a meme of all the Vice Presidents we've had thus far. My daughter made me stop and zoom in, pointing to the image representing Kamala Harris. "I like that one," she said. "Why?" I asked. "Because she's a mommy." Because of Harris, our daughters and sons will know that anything is possible.

"Moms Against Racism Congratulates Vice President Elect Kamala Harris, daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, elected as our nation’s first female vice president. She is also hailed as the first BIPOC MOM elected as VP! Watching her beautiful children grace the stage with her yesterday made us mamas PROUD! We sit, We walk, We run..." - Natasha McNeil, MAR International Founder

"I have more hope than I’ve had in a long time. And showing my daughter what’s possible just got easier. That’s a big thing to be grateful for. I’m gonna take an evening to breathe, and then let’s get to work." - Abigail Prang-Vreeland PhD, Director of Teacher's Corner MAR

"I am sincerely relieved and happy, but it’s tempered. I think we can all rejoice in the fact that we have a black female of Indian descent in power. However, this shouldn’t be the exception it should be the rule. We should see people in office that reflect the diversity in our country. ...The next challenge is one that will be harder, longer, and will require people to question themselves, their family, friends, and neighbors. " - Deena Bayoumi, MAR Member

"I am pausing to drink it all in: the relief, the joy, the hope. Then, I will steel myself to begin to find ways to help work on the very daunting tasks of societal healing and growth." - Ana Larkin, MAR Member