Page 10 - Florida Sentinel 8-14-20

Feature
History Made On Several Levels As Joe Biden Chooses Kamala Harris As His Running Mate
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
Getting registered and getting to the polls in November will be most important.
Now that Vice President Joe Biden has announced his selection of a running mate, many conversations are being held about the person he chose.
California Senator Ka- mala Harris will be joining Biden on the ticket. Their of- ficial announcement was made in Delaware on Wednes- day, August 12th.
With this nomination, his- tory is being made on several levels – first female, first Black
and first Asian American. Harris was a 2020 Demo- cratic candidate for the office of President.
The Sentinel talked with a few people about what the nomination means.
Former State Representa- tive Edwin (Ed) Narain of- fered this statement.
“Senator Kamala Har- ris being chosen as VP Joe Biden’s running mate is in- spiring for so many people! I personally think of my daugh- ters and the glass ceiling that Senator Harris is breaking for little Black and Brown girls all across the world.
“It’s past time Black women (the most loyal voting block of the Democratic Party) are represented on the na-
tional ticket and hopefully this is just the start of more Black women running for higher of- fice.
“Her selection proves that despite how far we still have to go in terms of race relations, America remains the land of opportunity and hope.
“Let’s come together and get this ticket elected for the betterment of our country! As we saw twelve years ago, the power is in OUR hands.”
Harris’ line sister (Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.) at Howard University, and Tampa native, Karen Hayes had this to say about Biden choosing Harris.
“This is surreal. Demo- cratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden's selection of
Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate for Vice President is a proud, historic moment for the African Amer- ican community at a pivotal time in our country's history.
“Who knew when Lisa (Judge Lisa Campbell) and I joined the rest of our line sis- ters at Howard University in February 1986, that we would be saying greetings with the first African American woman on a presidential ticket for a major party; first African American to be the vice presi- dent nominee of a major party; first African American from a HBCU (Howard Uni- versity) on a presidential ticket for a major party; and the first from the Divine Nine and first sorority founded by African American women, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Alpha Chapter, at Howard University in 1908. There is so much history being made on so many levels and it's an especially proud mo- ment for all HBCUs.
“For hundreds of years we were denied the right to vote. But since the Voting Rights Act of 1965, we've elected a two-term African American President and now have the opportunity to elect an African American Vice President, a woman, in Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris. I'm excited about the historic opportunity for our country. Now we just need more people to register and vote!”
Dr. and Mrs. George (Odessa) Banks had the dis- cussion of the nominee during dinner Tuesday evening.
“We knew that Vice Presi- dent Biden had to choose a strong woman. Kamala Har- ris is a very good choice, an excellent choice,” Mrs. Banks said. “She is a former prosecutor, Attorney General and she knows how to handle the tough questions. Not only
that, she is well qualified for the position.”
Atty. Carolyn House Stewart, 28th International President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., said, “This is an historic appoint- ment, also a celebration date in history for America and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.” Dr. Glenda Glover is the current president.
“The fact that she is the graduate of an HBCU is of note. VP nominee Harris works with Dr. Glover under the HBCU initiative.
“It’s exciting to know we’ll have a woman of color on the ticket,” she said.
Atty. and former State Rep. Sean Shaw said: “This is a historic moment in our history. For the first time, an African American woman has been selected as a member of a presidential ticket. The fact that this selection takes place with the backdrop of the #BLM movement is even more inspiring. As a former Attorney General of Califor- nia, she served as an inspira- tion for my own Attorney General race here in Florida. Politically, I think this selection will definitely help Vice President Biden’s chances.”
Longtime political activist and businessman, Marvin Knight, says: “I support the choice that Mr. Biden made. There were several on list who were qualified.
“It’s time for us to stand by Vice President Biden and his choice. I’m doing all I can en- couraging family and friends to get out and vote, not only in the Presidential Election, but in these local elections, August 18th.
“We need to be enthused about this and don’t let nega- tivity get in the way. We got to stay focused and take the time to get out and vote.”
PAGE 10-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2020