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There’s more to it than meets the eye.
Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Kamala D. Harris are now the President and Vice President-elect of the US, after a highly anticipated presidential race. For many, a changing of the guard in the White House comes as a great comfort considering President Donald Trump’s knack for endorsing hateful rhetoric and failure to adequately address the coronavirus pandemic. Others believe this victory for the Democratic Party gives Americans a chance at a better future. Sharing this sentiment are several Black voters, who as a collective voted for the Biden-Harris ticket at a rate higher than any other group. Notably, early exit polls showed that 87 percent of Blacks voted for a Biden presidency, with Black women voting at 90 percent. On November 9th, Harris posted a tweet showing her gratitude for the latter group. In it she wrote the following:
“I want to speak directly to the Black women in our country. Thank you. You are too often overlooked, and yet are asked time and again to step up and be the backbone of our democracy. We could not have done this without you.”
At first glance, Harris’ tweet seems harmless. However, when looking deeper her words add to a sea of troublesome ideologies that have been circulating within the American social and political landscape for some time.
