History shows that Kamala Harris is likely to face a double layer of scrutiny as the first Black woman to run on a major political party’s presidential ticket, said CNN senior political reporter Nia-Malika Henderson, just moments after Joe Biden announced his choice.
Henderson said there had already been leaks out of the selection process in which Biden allies had hit Harris with the kind of criticism often reserved powerful women, suggesting she “rubbed people the wrong way” or was “too ambitious.”
“Then there’s a double layer when you add on a person of colour and of race and of ethnic backgrounds [as] we will see with Kamala Harris,” added Henderson. “I think she is a singular person and she has been vocal about the unfair ways in which women are treated and in this instance obviously a woman of colour has to deal with that double scrutiny of both race and gender.”
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) said the appointment of Kamala Harris as Joe Biden’s running mate is a “defining moment in U.S. history.”
He added that “Black women have been at the forefront of moving us toward a more representative and unified society” but their representation within high levels of government never matched “their unwavering participation in our democracy.”
Johnson said this decision “breaks down one of these barriers in historic proportions. That it comes at a time in which Black Americans face duelling threats from a global health crisis and ingrained racism is all the more powerful.”
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“While we do not support a political party, we recognize the overwhelming significance of this moment and what it means for this nation. We must not allow coverage of Sen. Harris’ historic candidacy to decline into ugly racist and sexist stereotypes and attacks,” the statement said.
“Regardless of party affiliation, every American should be proud that this milestone was finally reached,” Johnson added.
CNN
