Women in Politics: Fighting for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

This post was originally published on Word In Black. By: Ariama C. Long Although recent presidential elections have seen more diverse women on both sides of the political aisle jockeying for party nominations, the fact remains that in more than 240 years, the U.S. has never elected a female president. The prevailing sexist joke is that if you were married to the president as First Lady, like Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama, then you’ve already “been in control of the White House.” Vice President Kamala Harris is the first, and only, woman, Black American, or South Asian American to be elected to her position, as was the case when she served as district attorney of San Francisco and U.S. Senator for California. When she was elected alongside President Joe Biden in 2020, women of all backgrounds got one step closer to running the White House rather than just residing in it. America’s history of overt political sexism and racism is still holding women back from the presidency, so the question is simple: If a candidate like Harris were a white male and not a Black woman, would they be president? The polls say: Most likely. “Women have always faced systemic...