Holding Kamala to task - Jamaican women in the US hoping vice-president-elect will make them proud

Even though elated at the historic election of Kamala Harris to the office of American Vice-President last week, Jamaican women who live in the United States are adopting a strict approach and say they will hold her to the highest standards.

Harris is the offspring of a Jamaican father and Indian mother, and her appointment has been a source of joy for many Jamaicans who have claimed her as their own, now with high hopes that she will be a beacon of light while she embarks on the duties involved with being the deputy leader of the free world.

Harris, however, has not endeared herself to some of the womenfolk who hail from the Caribbean island due to her not making mention of her father or her Jamaican roots during her many major speeches, the last being her introduction of President-elect Joe Biden at Wilmington, Delaware, on Saturday night after Biden was declared the winner of the contentious presidential election hours earlier.

“We are very proud that somehow a Jamaican has again made history. We claim her as ours even though she was born in the US. All my children were born here, but they all consider themselves as Jamaican and are very proud of their heritage,” Odette Barclay, a Jamaican-born health worker who resides in the city of Riviera Beach in West Palm Beach, Florida, told The Gleaner.

“However, we would have been pleased if she had just even once mentioned her father. She only speaks about her mother as if the Jamaican side of her had no bearing on who she is today. That said, there will be no honeymoon for her. As soon as she takes office, we expect to feel her presence. Under the last administration, women of colour have not been treated as best as we should have, and it is my hope that she will perform as best as she can and make us proud even if she not bigging up Jamaica so much.”

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENT

Carlene Steadman lives in Tamarac, Florida, and has been a US citizen for more than 20 years. Steadman is not overly impressed by Harris’ heritage but is proud of her achievement as a female.

“Whether or not she has Jamaican heritage is not important to me. She needs to do a good job, and then I will be impressed. Like all politicians, she needs to be held to task,” Steadman, a past student of the Queens School, said.

Harris was the second half of a ticket that defeated incumbent president Donald Trump and his deputy, Mike Pence, in the November 3 polls, which saw record numbers of votes cast in the country’s history. Her rise to the vice-presidency has not been without controversy, however, as she has been sharply criticised by coloured US citizens for her role as a prosecutor.

Harris has been accused of aiding in systemic racism by seeking harsher sentences for persons of colour compared to white Americans who commit the same crimes.

Karen Cummings is hoping that Harris will wipe her slate clean even though she is still bitter that her nephew was slapped with a lengthy sentence after Harris prosecuted his case during her tenure as district attorney for San Francisco over a decade ago.

“He was guilty, but we all thought she never had to seek such a long sentence. She was doing her job, so I hope she approaches the job of vice president with the same seriousness she did while she sent people away. I will be watching. It is good that a woman has broken another glass ceiling in America, and it is even better that she has Jamaican roots,” Cummings said.

Biden and Harris are expected to take office in January next year.

Trump is yet to concede defeat. He has repeatedly described the electoral process as fraudulent and has vowed not to demit office without a fight.

editorial@gleanerjm.com