MY TRUTH: YOU MADE US PROUD!

By Cheryl Smith

I have won a few elections in my lifetime and I also know what it feels like to lose.

While I never shed a tear after my losses because I actually believed that voters lost; this 2024 Presidential election was different for me but I still feel as though the voters, and the world, LOST!

For a quick moment, the morning after, I sat alone in my office and a few tears rolled down my face.

The tears caught me off guard. I had just told a friend, “For some reason, I took a Harris victory as mine because I am fighting so many things right now and trying to stay uplifted, so if you happen to see me anytime soon, think about that song, ‘Tears of a Clown’ by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.”

Voters lost when the last numbers released showed Vice President Kamala Harris trailing former president Donald Trump 224-277 in electoral college votes.

All I have is praise for the Vice President.

If I saw her today, tomorrow, whenever; I would just say, “Thanks Madam Vice President.”

You see, she gave me hope. For me, Kamala Harris represented the millions of women, Black women who came before her and carried the weight of this world on their shoulders for the short time they walked this earth.

These were the valiant women who suffered and served. They were strong, not because they wanted to be.

Instead, they were strong because they weren’t given a choice. Many didn’t have the luxury of being trophy wives, Queen of the castle, or the “serve versus the servants;” especially in America.

Black women couldn’t be sick for great lengths of time, or anytime at all for some, because we had work to do. Kamala Harris is ready, willing, prepared, and able to rule these United States of America.

Talk about our ancestors, wildest dreams – some couldn’t even fathom an accomplishment – and here she was, so close.

Some saw her as a symbol of redemption.

There’s been talk about a statue of her being erected in her father’s homeland, Jamaica.

I anticipate there to be more monuments and in each one, I see so many women in the image — she would represent the best of the Black woman.

The words I planned to write today after learning of a Harris/Walz victory, were specific to all women, especially Black women.

Support her, uplift her, pray for her, and never say or do anything to tear her down.

I saw this as an opportunity for this woman to help elevate Black women to their rightful place of reverence, forever and amen.

Does that mean she wouldn’t have challenges? Does that mean that she wouldn’t make unpopular decisions, or be above reproach?

Not at all.

But it also means that there would be some decisions she made that were not totally her own, but whatever the case she should be respected and given grace.

We’ve been long on the grace-giving for others for far too long so how about extending some to a Black woman?

Now someone will say I am stretching, we have to hold her accountable, and make her do the right thing.

Let’s be real.

The Black woman has been stretched so much and for so very long, and we have the marks to show it — and not just from childbirth!

It was a great man who said “A nation can rise no higher than its women.”

We have that woman in Kamala Harris, and she rose to the occasion, overachieving in less time!

Am I saying she’s the only woman or she’s the first who was prepared?

No, but she was the only one on the ballot.

So let it be a lesson to us all, especially as women.

We know our struggles, our talents, the sleepless nights, unfulfilled dreams, sighs of relief, and silent tears.

We know sometimes the smile on our faces does not represent what we’re feeling in our hearts.

Kamala Harris deserves love and support as well as our thanks.

She went where no other Black woman has gone and after the dust is settled, and she looks to the future; we need to be right there with her, whatever she decides.

By Lashawnda Jones