To fight, one must have hope!
Kamala Harris is a firm believer that one must have hope for a brighter future in order to fight for one. In an interview with Elle magazine, the Senator and Democratic vice-presidential nominee spoke about how she's fueled by optimism in any and every fight she takes on.
“Optimism is the fuel driving every fight I’ve been in,” Senator Harris told the outlet. “The motivation comes from believing in what can be unburdened by what has been." She added, "John Lewis, the dearly departed, like many others shed blood on that bridge. Because he really believed in what could be. It will often feel like [we are only] against something, but the motivation that carries us through, with any longevity, is knowing what we’re fighting for.”
So, what does Harris' fighting spirit mean for Americans? As noted by Elle, the Senator relayed a story about the night she became the second Black woman in history elected to the U.S. Senate to explain the roots of her ongoing fight and road to the White House.
“In every one of my elections, part of our routine is we do a small friends-and-family dinner before we go to the campaign night celebration," she shared, adding that ahead of her win, it began to look like Donald Trump was going to win the 2016 presidential election. “My godson, Alexander, who was seven years old at the time, came up to me, crying, and said, ‘Auntie Kamala, they’re not going to let that man win, are they?’ And you know the babies in your life.…”
“I held him. I mean, it still brings me pain to remember how he felt, and what it made me feel, which is that I needed to protect this child," Harris continued. "I had one way, in my mind, I thought the evening would go. And then there was the way it turned out. And so by the time I took the stage, I had ripped up my notes, and all I had was Alexander in my heart. And I took the podium and I said, ‘I intend to fight. I intend to fight.’”
While Harris may be driven by optimism, she is also driven by her need to fight for justice, which she defined as freedom, equality, and dignity.
"When you achieve equality, and freedom, and fairness, it’s not because I grant it to you," she said. "It’s because you fought for it because it is your right. This is not about benevolence or charity; it is about every human being’s God-given right. What do we collectively do to fight for that? That’s what justice represents to me—it’s about empowerment of the people.”
See Harris' full interview with Elle, HERE!
Photo: Getty Images