14 Kamala Harris Quotes to Inspire the Shattering of Glass Ceilings
Kamala Harris made history not only as the first female vice president of the United States, but the first Black and first Asian-American vice president as well. This achievement came from decades of hard work and you can see her wisdom in Kamala Harris quotes.
Here are some of the best quotes from one of the most prominent glass ceiling shatterers in America.
Kamala Harris Quotes on Being the First
Being the first female, Black, and Asian-American vice president isn’t the first time she’s broken barriers. She made history in many positions she’s held in the past. Here are some of the best Kamala Harris quotes on being the first to do something incredible.
“My mother would look at me and she’d say, ‘Kamala, you may be the first to do many things, but make sure you are not the last. That’s why breaking those barriers is worth it. As much as anything else, it is also to create that path for those who will come after us.”
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“I hope that by being a ‘first,’ I inspire young people to pursue their dreams. The number of times I’ve heard the word ‘no’—or that something can’t be done—in my lifetime is too many to count. I’m honored to be considered a “first,” but I always think about the people who came before and paved the way for me to get where I am today. From Rosa Parks to Shirley Chisholm to Congressman John Lewis, I stand on the shoulders of so many great men and women before me.”
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“What I want young women and girls to know is: You are powerful and your voice matters. You’re going to walk into many rooms in your life and career where you may be the only one who looks like you or who has had the experiences you’ve had. But you remember that when you are in those rooms, you are not alone. We are all in that room with you applauding you on. Cheering your voice. And just so proud of you. So you use that voice and be strong.”
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“It’s interesting, because as the first Black woman elected to the many positions I’ve been elected to, I am often in rooms, and have been in rooms, where a reporter or someone else will come up to me and they’ll say, ‘So, talk to us about Black women’s issues.’ And I’ll look at them and think, ‘You know what, I am so glad you want to talk about the economy.’ Or sometimes say, ‘I am so glad you want to talk about national security.’ Because what we know is this: yes, there are issues that explicitly impact the Black community. Simply put, every issue is a Black woman’s issue. And Black women’s issues are everyone’s issues.”
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“While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last. Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.”
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Kamala Harris Quotes on Racism
As a woman of color, Kamala Harris has witnessed and experienced the racism rampant in America today. Here are some Kamala Harris quotes on the topic of racism.
“Let’s speak the truth: People are protesting because Black people have been treated as less than human in America. Because our country has never fully addressed the systemic racism that has plagued our country since its earliest days. It is the duty of every American to fix. No longer can some wait on the sidelines, hoping for incremental change. In times like this, silence is complicity.”
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“Every day, pregnant women walk into their doctor’s office for checkups, advice and treatment; but that experience is very different for Black women. Black women are three to four times more likely than white women to die from pregnancy-related causes and twice as likely to suffer from life-threatening pregnancy-related complications.”
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“But now, because of the smartphone, America and the world are seeing in vivid detail the brutality that communities have known for generations. You can’t deny. You can’t look away. It’s there. I do believe people are seeing the injustice of it all and are prepared to take action in a way that we’ve not seen before. And that gives me hope.”
Inspirational Kamala Harris Quotes
Harris has made waves in her political career. Here are some of the most inspirational Kamala Harris quotes.
“You never have to ask anyone permission to lead. I want you to remember that, OK? When you want to lead, you lead.”
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“To everyone keeping up the fight, you are doing something. You are the reason I know we are going to bring our country closer to realizing its great promise. But to do it, we’ll need to work, organize, and vote like never before, because we need more than a victory on 3 November. We need a mandate that proves that the past few years do not represent who we are or who we aspire to be.”
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“I’m speaking.”
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“To the children of our country, regardless of your gender, our country has sent you a clear message: Dream with ambition, lead with conviction, and see yourself in a way that others might not see you, simply because they’ve never seen it before. And we will applaud you every step of the way.”
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“[My mother would] tell us ‘Don’t sit around and complain about things; do something.’ So I did something. I devoted my life to making real the words carved in the United States Supreme Court: Equal justice under law.”
Vice President Kamala Harris: Paving the Way Forward
Perhaps one of the most inspiring Kamala Harris quotes came during the 2020 Black Girls Lead conference. She said “There will be people who say to you, ‘You are out of your lane. They are burdened by only having the capacity to see what has always been instead of what can be. But don’t you let that burden you.”
The life and career of Harris opens doors for women, Black Americans, and Asian-Americans who want to pursue a career in politics. Let’s not let her be the last.
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Michael F. Hiatt / Shutterstock.com
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Sarah Margaret is an artist who expresses her love for feminism, equality, and justice through a variety of mediums: photography, filmmaking, poetry, illustration, song, acting, and of course, writing.
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