When Vice President-elect Kamala Harris delivered her victory speech on Nov. 7, she spoke directly from the heart and managed to inspire many young generations.

             “Every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities,” she said. Many families filled social media apps with pictures or videos of their daughters, nieces, and granddaughters glued to the screens as Harris, the first Black person, the first South Asian, and the first woman to become Vice President-elect of the U.S. celebrated her victory. 

Through Harris’ campaign, she was well known for paying attention to girls and acknowledging them. There are many videos circulating social media in which she is often seen kneeling down to shy children and always telling them to hold their chin up. 

Many of these girls see themselves in Harris, as many of these children come from different ethnicities. Seeing a woman who shares a girl’s racial background is inspiring and motivating to see. It definitely is inspirational to know that many of these kids will have endless opportunities and that they will see through Harris what those opportunities are. A lot of these little girls will grow up in an era that will emphasize acceptance and change — something that Harris’ win demonstrated for her. 

During her victory speech, Harris also mentioned the women who came before her. She paid tribute to the women, particularly Black women, who paved the way for her. Because of these women, Harris will help shape our nation into a better one. Not only will she shape our nation into a better place, she will also help many change their perspectives on what really matters like racial injustices, etc. 

Destiny Brown, 21, director of government relations for the Undergraduate Student Government, is an Indianapolis native, who is Black, believes that she can see what her future could be when she sees Kamala Harris. When the Vice President-elect spoke on television that Saturday night, Brown felt like Harris’ words boosted her and her future. Brown was interviewed by The Columbus dispatch. “Black women were the backbone of American democracy, not just saying a woman of color… Black women,” she said. There is no doubt that Harris has inspired many young women and girls like Brown. 

Kamala Harris embraces real equality and believes that women are the future. She will continue to inspire the lives of many. As she said in her first post-election address to the nation, “While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last,” she said. “And to the children of our country, regardless of your gender, our country has sent you a clear message: Dream with ambition, lead with conviction…” 

Kamala Harris also paid tribute to her mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, who emigrated from India when she was just 19 and passed away in 2009. “Maybe she didn’t quite imagine this moment… But she believed so deeply in an America where a moment like this is possible,” said Harris. She continues to honor her mother’s legacy and often speaks about her, whether through social media, or public addresses like her victory speech. It was clear that Gopalan Harris made a huge impact on her daughters’ lives, and will continue to do so. 

Harris will be sworn officially into the Vice-Presidency on Jan. 20 alongside President-elect Joe Biden. The inauguration ceremony will be different than the past ones due to coronavirus and the safety precautions they have to take, but it will definitely be televised on national television for the whole world to see. Harris has inspired many young people and will continue to do so with all her wits. She has cemented herself in history by becoming America’s first woman, and the first Black and South Asian person, to be elected vice president.