During the 2024 presidential race, I watched the women in my family come to life in support of Kamala Harris. These women, who had every opportunity to shy away from making the kind of emboldened statements that they knew would cause trouble, never did.
My great-grandmother handmade a Kamala Harris yard sign, proudly declaring “You Go Girl! Kamla Harris” Using a typo and glitter pens to proclaim her support.
My grandma, with her limited knowledge of technology and social media, made it her mission to repost news and reels from the Harris team to her eight Instagram followers.
My mom, in the year since, has spent her time at protests with handmade signs and used every conversation as an opportunity to advocate for Harris.
This election waved in a new era of hope, excitement, and community into the presidential race. Harris was someone who inspired people and showed them how strong the country can be under the right leadership.
Ballots no longer needed to be a ‘lesser of two evils’ vote or candidates of the same age, race, and gender. As she reflected in her book, “It was not because of gender or because of race, but despite it.” Harris was breaking the rules, and the people rallied around her.
In 107 Days, Harris recounts the 107 days of her presidential campaign, the shortest in modern American history. Acting with the poise of a skilled politician and the fury of a woman scorned, Harris did not hold back on how the White House and members of the Democratic Party failed her during the campaign.
Her book is a deep dive exploration into the world of election politics and social campaigning, working tirelessly to show exactly what went wrong in the race, and highlighting what went right. In her reflection, she pinpoints specific events or days that hurt her campaign, whether that be a misspoken comment or a lie spread by other parties.
The composition of the book, although chronological, is scattered, written by someone trying to get all the details of a tumultuous time down before they start to slip. This urgency causes Harris to jump from topic to topic, sometimes leaving the attention of her readers behind. But through the scattered details of those 107 days, one thread of truth runs perfectly within the pages: Harris was the best candidate for the job.
The 2024 election was the most important in decades. It was a chance for a better America, a safer America, and a happier America. Kamala Harris was let down by a system built to give her a voice and a fighting chance. In 107 Days, we now know she was let down by the people and the politicians surrounding her as well.
She was not a perfect politician. I can’t be sure those even exist, but no matter the day or the issue at hand, she cared. Her dedication to the people, all the people, of America was admirable and honest.
She has made mistakes and has not written this book from the perspective of a perfect person who believes they were in the right or cheated out of victory. She highlights her flaws and her shortcomings with just as much importance as she does the mistakes and offences of others.
But as she looks back on the election, there was one thought that stuck with her all 107 days, “There is too much at stake. I cannot fail these people.” That mindset and that determination are what sparked the support of millions of Americans. It’s what has continued to fuel Harris in her work post-election. And on top of all that, it’s what got four generations of women in my family to agree on politics, which is not an easy feat.
Words by Gracyn Gilliam
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