By Cheryl Smith
Monday I voted.
It wasn’t the first time. However; it was the first time in my lifetime of voting, that I got to cast my vote for a Black woman.
Now some will say, “you voted for Vice President Kamala Harris because she’s Black!”
So what if I did?
There will also be those who didn’t vote for her for the same reason.
Who would you consider to be in the wrong?
I’m going to stay on this side of history and think about times in the past when support should have been given to a Black person, or a woman but the odds were against them.
I didn’t vote for Kamala Harris because she is Black. She’s smart, talented, meticulous, astute, creative, intuitive, and passionate.
And there’s more.
Having a woman in the White House is a feat long overdue. While the Hon. Shirley Chisholm (D-NY), the Member from the great state of New York, was not successful; she laid the foundation and put forth the notion that we could build better families, homes, communities, nations, and yes; a better world.
Now I am not foolish enough to think that men won’t have a say-so in decisions, but what I do know is that having a woman at the table will definitely make a difference. I also believe that she will do what sometimes others have been unable to do — find people of color who are qualified to serve.
And more women will be in the room at the table.
Sounds scary? Don’t be alarmed. If you use your brain, you see the value in having a woman in a leadership position.
Now, I didn’t avoid voting for Donald Trump because he is white. Actually, I believe if he were Black, with his portfolio, he wouldn’t even be al- lowed to be on the ballot.
Better still, if America was a company/corporation; many have said his children would have seized control and re- tired him years ago. All eyes are on us. Some have said, “fool me once, shame on you — fool me twice, shame on me!”
Are voters going to take a utilitarian position and vote for what is good for the entire country, and ultimately the world; or will we blindly, selfishly, and recklessly lead the country down a path of destruction fueled by hatred, and dishonesty? Your choice could make a difference in how we are viewed decades from now. Folks will be trying to rewrite or erase history just like they are doing today because some of this stuff is down-right cray cray!
Reminds me of a line from the great 1970s group, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes: “The whole towns’ laughing at me!”
