Louella Tyson is very passionate about voting this November. She sees her sorority sister, Senator Kamala Harris, as an instrument for change.
“She encourages us to be a part of the solutions in our country. Our Senator is taking the next step to move this country forward,” said Tyson, who is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the nation’s oldest Black sorority. Tyson has never met Harris but has made a connection between progressive women who aim to make a difference in America
When Senator Harris, 55, was selected as former Vice President Joe Biden’s running mate in August, she made history as a woman of color to run on the Democratic ticket for the vice president office.
“The Senator attracts suburban women, middle and upper-class families, and anyone who falls in the gap,” she said. “She understands what it takes to get votes. She knows how to get your ear and make a situation happen. She knows civics, and she understands advocating for others,” said Tyson, who will be voting for the second time.
Senator Harris’ father was a college professor, and her mother was a cancer researcher. She and her sister were raised in a solid middle-class family. She attended Howard University and Hastings College for law school.
Her ambition has included being a rising star in the Democratic Party, as she has served as the attorney general (from 2011 – 2017), and she ran for her U. S. Senate seat. She ran for the presidential nomination, often being a fierce contender to Vice President Biden.
During one of the debates, the Senator related a school busing story she experienced in the 1970s and 1980s. Harris did not mix words with Biden, thus coming out a winner for her fierce attack on the busing issue and how it impacted Black children. Now that she has joined her former rival on the ticket, Harris is seen as an asset to the party, for standing firm on issues that she believes in.
There has never been a woman to serve as the vice president in the United States history. While others have run for president and paved the road for Harris, a possible win would make her historical again. The late Rep. Shirley Chisholm’s run for office is nationally mentioned, for women of color who had political ambition. And most recently, Hillary Clinton’s run for president draws skeptics and critics, but Senator Harris represents something new and exciting for this generation.
Senator Harris was also vocal on the death of Minnesota’s George Floyd, more so than other candidates running for office. Just days before actor Chadick Boseman died (Black Panther lead role), he spoke on voter registration with his Howard alumni friend. Harris has had good fortune to be in the right place at the right time in public and politically.
The Traveler Weekly 