In a modest high school gymnasium in Wilmington, Delaware, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, entered as a team, to the soulful sounds of Curtis Mayfield, as Move On Up, echoed with spirit, and vivacity throughout the audience free environment. The Biden-Harris message reverberated with folks at home during this global pandemic, the message of possibilities for anyone. Anyone. Joe Biden stated without reservation, that he has Kamala Harris’ back, and asked the nation to do the same. Without a cheering crowd, confetti, or a concoction of cascading balloons, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris conveyed the seriousness of our time, addressing the devastation of COVID-19, a racial justice movement lifting folks up to ideals we must honor, overwhelming economic disparities, and a climate crisis requiring immediate attention. The Trump-Pence country club card, represents an era of unabashed white supremacy, with antiquated gender roles, racial segregation, and doctors doing cigarette commercials. The Biden-Harris ticket is in present day, where racial justice is demanded not demonized, by a majority of white people, and “housewives” are found on Bravo – where they are concerned with attending a white party, not being in Trump’s White Party.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are connected to reality, as a result, they connect to the American people. The Democratic Dynamic Duo conveyed the importance of what is at stake – the American soul. Although the pandemic era atmosphere was notably quiet, the Biden-Harris message resonated with a concise, clear message to America: leadership is here. The Biden-Harris team are ready to lead America out of the toxic Trump territory of tyranny, with passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, racial justice, gender equity, economic balance, and an embrace of science. It was a history making moment, America got to know Kamala by another title she carries with honor, Mamala, as a stepmother, and a mentor to her nieces. Kamala will not be defined by Trump, she is her own woman, she is, “Kamala Harris for The People.” This is not a dress rehearsal America, our actions in this moment are pivotal, and every vote is vital. As Gregory Meeks said, “The camera of history is rolling, and we are being recorded.” What will history’s film document about you?
Reflective of lyrics in, Move On Up, America must move on from Trump-Pence, and move up to a “greater day,” as Curtis Mayfield wrote:
Just move on up, to a greater day
With just a little faith
If you put your mind to it you can surely do it
Just move on up. Move on up.
“Politics reflects the culture, not the other way around.” Carol Moseley Braun, first Black woman to serve in the US Senate.