Earlier this week, Vice President Kamala Harris did not extend a formal invitation for a formal sit down and tour of the Naval Observatory to incoming Vice President JD Vance. It’s part of traditional transitional activities that have occurred between outgoing and incoming administrations.
And while Harris nor her office have made a comment as to why she has not, Harris has been around long enough in politics to know that looks exactly like what we all think it looks like: petty AF
Why Kamala Is Not Having It
And honestly she should be. Before you start arguing “norms,” it is 1000% not normal or acceptable to call your opponent the “trash” that needs to be taken out on Election Day. That’s what JD Vance fixed his mouth to do on the stump.
Say you disagree with them. Say you’ll spend your life fighting against the policies in which they believe. But that you are literal, actual, “trash”? Nope that is not something you toss at someone in a civil political debate about the direction of our nation.
Let’s be clear fam, Vance felt comfortable doing that because none of the powerful who would have sway with him or his supporters were going to call him to account for disrespecting a Black woman in that way.
And it was just one of many insults hurled Harris’ way that she absorbed and held her head high (a move so relatable to Black women) while she ran a sprint of a historic Presidential campaign to save this country from itself.
So Harris refusal to go along to get along like she (and we) didn’t just see what she just saw is why so many Black women are over it everywhere.
Why Michelle Obama Is Not Playing With Y’all
Forever our First Lady Michelle Obama is not with the sh*ts either.She put a considerable amount of time on the campaign trail as a popular surrogate for Harris, and I know she is also still not over (nor should she ever be) the racism directed toward her and her husband by the Trump and the GOP, while in the White House.
She refused to go to former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral because that per seating arrangements would put her spitting distance (without being able to spit) of Trump.
And when asked if she was attending the Trump’s Inauguration again. Her office said “no” and when asked for an explanation, they said “no” which is a complete sentence.
After 8 years of service to the country not including campaigning faithfully for Democrats, and warning the American people, she no longer owes anyone us anything. And they aren’t the only public facing Black women to do so.
Y’all Need to Stop Playing with Jasmine Crockett
Congresswomen Jasmine Crockett (TX) and Ayanna Pressley(MA) have also made publicly clear they will not be attending instead focusing on being in their district serving their constituents on the Martin Luther King Jr Day.
As a Black woman, and as someone who has worked in politics for a while, I’m frankly here for all of this.
There are so many indignities Black women face in leadership, especially in political leadership. I’ve experienced it and I’ve seen it.
And it’s sick, because WE do the damn thing every election cycle saving Democrats in close elections,
We flip whole Southern states the white folks could not figure out like in the 2017 Alabama US Senate Election or Georgia in the 2020 Presidential Election
WE organized 44,000+ of us to get on a virtual national call and raise over $1.2 million in a matter of hours for a Presidential candidate.
WE phone bank, text bank, fundraiser, we lead political party efforts, and souls to the polls, even work as poll workers enduring misogynoir at the hands of entitled voters because we know the importance of holding onto a democracy (however imperfect) for our communities.
And despite folks saying “listen to Black women” all we still get instead of the policies we need, is how inspiring we are for our good work and devotion. Meanwhile we get called “trash” and a whole manner of other stuff without any of y’all coming to our defense.
Well, we’re done. We’re never gonna stop caring for our communities and loved ones and finding ways to preserve folks from the harms definitely coming our way.
But we’re done putting ourselves on Main fighting the power, while y’all sit back. It’s your turn.