So we're doing this again, America?
I planned to drop a show-related note on Friday. Then, the US Elections ‘Electioned.’
America!
Hold up — was the idea of having Kamala Harris as president so distasteful the only course of action was to double down on your votes for the purveyor of chaos?
OH Okay. Gotit.
I wasn’t shocked by Vice President Kamala Harris’ election loss. But the reality of it still hurts. I knew that if people weren’t ready to have a woman president in 2016, why would they be prepared to have a Black woman president of South Asian descent less than eight years later?
‘Women candidates continue to face routine obstacles in how they are covered by the media, which also takes the form of gendered and even racialized media coverage on their paths to the White House. When Vice President Kamala Harris was announced as Joe Biden’s running mate in 2020, 61% of the media mentioned her gender and race, while just 5% of coverage mentioned Tim Kaine or Mike Pence’s gender and race in 2016.
It’s the ‘even racialized’ part that gets me every time. Why is it a surprise?! I digress…
The point is, on November 5, 2024, I didn’t want to be correct.
I didn’t want to be correct when my twelve-year-old daughter glibly declared, ‘Hmm, I think we’re seeing sexism happening in real-time,’ two hours into us watching the votes roll in.
And I didn’t want to be correct as I comforted my nine-year-old son the following day as he wept at the idea that ‘more people will die’ because of the now very real threat to women’s healthcare services.
I reassured him that the Presidential election isn’t the end of the story. I said while we may not have all the answers — yet — we could focus on building safe, thriving, and inclusive communities and supporting our neighbors.
I’ll confess that in that moment, my grief and anger made it difficult to believe that last part of what I said. I’m still not there — yet. I don’t plan to rush through these feelings. Today I’ve talked with, consoled and been consoled by other Black women. We won’t rush through my feelings. I for one am choosing to honour what I feel, reflect and hold my family close - especially my kids. Clarity will come soon enough. This is the long game.
Watch this 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION DEBRIEF BY KEITH BOYKIN if you’re still trying to make sense of this, this video summary by political commentator Keith Boykin nails it.
See you next week, and look out for a new audio conversation. I speak to footballer and author of the kid's book, “The 1% Kid,” Channing Chasten. He talks to me about building resilience and turning setbacks into wins.
What perfect timing.
And remember — be kind.