– Photo Courtesy of: Kamala Harris’ Twitter Account

“Joe Biden is a healer, a uniter, a tested, and steady hand. A person whose own experience of loss gives him a sense of purpose that will help us, as a nation, reclaim our own sense of purpose.”

Four years of racism. Of sexism.

Four years of every -ism imaginable.

Four years of irresponsibility. Of lies.

Four years of inadequate leadership.

Four years of the compromising all moral decency.

For four years, President Donald Trump has served as a grand humiliation of what the United States should stand for — freedom, acceptance, and equity.

But yesterday at 10:25 a.m., a beam of light shone through the thick fog of Trump’s presidency, revealing an opportunity to reshape the face of the United States – and the fate of its citizens.

While much of 2020 has been tainted with anguish and adversity, November 7 marks a momentous day in America.

Scenes of people across the nation dancing in the streets, smiling behind masks, and shedding tears of joy seemed straight out of a movie – but no actor or actress could ever replicate the rush that millions of Americans experienced when the Associated Press declared Joe Biden the victor of the turbulent 2020 election and other major news outlets followed suit.

The overwhelming outbursts of joy in Chicago, in New York City, in Los Angeles, in Philadelphia contributed to a near movie musical-esque ending to the tragedy of 2020.

The first battle for the soul of the nation was won. And history was made along the way.

While Joe Biden’s 290 electoral votes and 4.5 million popular vote advantage over Trump may suggest otherwise, yesterday’s victory wasn’t the decisive win Democrats had hoped for. In fact, President-elect Joe Biden was far from the ideal Democratic candidate many Americans would have preferred. Additionally, Democrats fell short of their House and Senate races goals, which will likely lead to challenges in passing policy throughout President-elect Biden’s term.

But it is a decisive win for democracy and America when the desire to return a sense of morality to the nation, to the White House, was satisfied yesterday morning, marking a substantial step in the right direction.

In the eyes of many, the most notable step toward progress lies in Senator Kamala Harris’ victory, as she will serve as the first female vice president in history, a triumph for equal representation in the White House as well as American politics as a whole. 

Adding to the significance of Vice President-elect Harris’ position, Harris is the first Black and South Asian American Vice President-elect and the proud daughter of two immigrants. While President Trump failed to prioritize minority representation and threatened the rights of immigrants throughout his presidency, Harris’ position will allow many Americans to finally feel represented in high-profile politics. Someone who looks like them will finally be in the room where it happens.

Although there is much progress to be made under the Biden administration, many feel as if their fate will finally be in better hands. With that in mind, the mentality of millions on Saturday morning could be summarized by one keyword – hallelujah.

The prevailing mood is one of hope, as millions of Americans are now able to envision four years of positive progression – four years with a president and vice president that emphasize Americans coming together to make strides towards the nation of tomorrow.