INDIANAPOLIS — As Kamala Harris accepts her place in history as not only the first woman to become vice president-elect but also the first woman of color to burst through the barrier many are still taking it all in.
"The American people have made a choice and they decided to electe Kamala Harris,” Belinda Drake said.
Harris, who is the daughter of two immigrant parents and the first Black and Indian-American woman vice president-elect, is the highest-ranking female elected official in United States history
“To hear about it is one thing, but to see it. A Black woman in the White House in D.C. I didn't believe I would see that in my lifetime,” Drake said.
Even a day later she's still basking in it.
“I think this is a moment that we as Black women have to soak this in. Take it and run with it. We have seen it happen we can do it, let’s now continue the work she's about to open the door for us to do,” Drake said.
Drake recently made a run for state senate. She didn't win, but Saturday’s victory inspired her to keep pressing for change in Indiana.
“It gave me hope but it also gave me motivation to get back to the work stay on the ground and continue to organize,” Drake said.
She says while seeing this might be shocking right now because Harris is the first.
“This is like the new norm for the next generation for the kids that are under age 10, I hope she creates the space and opportunity for us to then have a Black female president or whatever you want to be you can be anything you want to be as a black woman and she has proved that,” Drake said.