On Wednesday, January 20, 2021, Senator Kamala Harris is being inaugurated as the next Vice President of the United States, the first woman and the first Black and Indian-American to hold that office.

In anticipation of this historic day, we reached out to both members of Westover’s senior leadership team and students who took part in History Department Chair Chris Ames’ fall semester course, American Politics: The Election of 2020. We asked the following question:

What does this moment in history mean to you as a member of the Westover School community, a school whose mission statement is to “empower young women to lead lives of consequence?”

Here are some of the responses we received:

“Living at a time to witness history and triumph, to see the first Black and Indian-American woman elected Vice President, is truly amazing. Over the course of this year, we have had such a hard time — politically, socially, mostly medically, and all around — but to see the inauguration of Kamala Harris gives me some hope that we will live in a new world of acceptance and peace.” —  Ally McKenna ’21

“Vice President-elect Harris’ (soon to be Vice President Harris) historic win is a win for all of us. A trailblazer, an inspiration, the hope we needed, Harris ‘may be the first, but not the last.’ As a member of the Westover community, I know that many of our students can reach the same heights if they so choose, and now they have a role model, a blueprint, a mirror.” — Tasheana Dukuly, Dean of Students

“Honestly, I have not cried more tears of joy since the election results came in. I am so incredibly proud of our country. Electing a woman to such a high position of power encourages generations of women to continue fighting for a place at the table. It reminds me that my hard work will pay off. I am so happy that the next generation of girls will get to look up and see someone like them at such a high position of power.” — Natalie Brown ’21

“When I think about Kamala Harris, I feel deeply moved. If I had known back in 1984 after Geraldine Ferraro’s nomination that it would take 36 years to break this glass ceiling, I would have been a severely disappointed teenager. But the wait was worth it. Vice President-elect Harris is so inspiring.” — Julie Faulstich, Head of School

“Having the opportunity to be present in a time when the first Black and Indian-American woman has become the Vice President of the United States of America is empowering. Kamala Harris will serve as an example of a powerful, inspirational woman not only to me, but for generations to come.” — Nadia Tavares ’21

“Kamala Harris’ inauguration as Vice President is the pinnacle of reality that truly anyone can be anything in the USA, but it is her life and how she lives it that makes this moment so powerful: her career and the issues she has taken on so passionately for fairness, justice, and equal rights for all walks of life; how she embraces and celebrates her identity through her multi-racial family, and how her identity was shaped by the community she grew up in Oakland, California; how she shows strength though character and hard work, and by how she recognizes the importance of kindness in getting the work done. Most importantly, and most exciting for us at Westover, is that every girl here can see herself in her, and that alone is inspiring.” — David J. Tuttle, Director of Enrollment Management

“When I heard that Kamala Harris was going to be the next Vice President, I was filled with an almost overwhelming sense of pride, because one of the most powerful positions in our government is going to be filled with an even more powerful woman, proving that our society truly is capable of change.” — Lucy Bird ’22

“It has taken an unbelievably long time but we are seeing progress — the election of Kamala Harris to the Vice Presidency leaves us wondering how soon we will see a woman of color in the top office. Each generation and field have had their firsts:

• 1892 - Sissieretta Jones became the first Black woman to sing at Carnegie Hall
• 1969 - Shirley Chisolm took office as the first Black woman to the U.S. House of Representatives from New York
• 1992 - Mae Jemison went on the shuttle Endeavor as the first Black woman in space
• 1993 - Carol Moseley Braun became the first Black woman in the U.S. Senate

Kamala Harris’ election continues the trend of women of color in higher office and provides younger generations with a model for what is possible. It is striking that out of such chaos can come a bright point of light — often in history things have to get worse before they get better. It’s hard to imagine things getting worse than 2020, but historically our country has endured many tragedies, often more troubling than what we have gone through recently. Time grants perspective and I am hopeful that the election of 2020 will be seen as a watershed moment — steering our country not along old, familiar pathways (many of which didn’t work out too well) but rather along a new road, one that counts equality and understanding as essential points on the map.” — Chris Ames, History Department Chair