The first, but not the last

For the first time in American history, a woman of color was on stage debating as the Democratic presidential nominee. No matter the outcome, this was a historical event. There is only one first. On this night in September of 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris was the first. Harris was certainly unflappable in the debate. She maintained her poise and composure. There was no question as to whether she could hold her own in a verbal sparring match. If anything, being a woman of color may have further strengthened her resolve. A lifetime of overcoming racial and gender biases could have better prepared her for standing firm in that moment. We must ask ourselves why this has taken so long to legitimately consider women for the presidency. Other countries have made the leap decades ago to elect or appoint women as heads of state. Margaret Thatcher began her 11-year tenure as the prime minister of the United Kingdom in 1979. Angela Merkel served Germany as its chancellor from 2005-21. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was the first woman president of Liberia, taking office in 2006 and serving for 12 years. Individually, we can decide whether we agree with each leader’s policies or...