Op Ed Editorial

HARLEM COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS Joe Biden Selects Kamala Harris as Running Mate

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

California Sen. ography. vulnerable people,” forms for racist and Kamala Harris Through the exaccording to her biogsexist attacks against is Joe Biden’s ample of courageous raphy. Harris and others who choice for vice presileaders like Thurgood Over the course of were considered in dent. Marshall, Constance her nearly two terms the vice-presidential "I have the great Baker Motley, and in office, Harris won sweepstakes. honor to announce Charles Hamilton a $25-billion settleIn an open letter that I've picked KaHouston, Harris said ment for California by nearly 700 Black mala Harris - a fearshe learned the kind homeowners hit by women leaders, the less fighter for the litof character it requires the foreclosure crisis, attacks were roundly tle guy, and one of the to stand up to the defended California’s denounced. country's finest public powerful and resolved landmark climate “Black women are servants - as my runto spend her life adchange law, protectmany things. We are ning mate," Biden vocating for those ed the Affordable business executives, tweeted in a text meswho could not defend Care Act, helped win political strategists, sage to supporters, themselves. marriage equality for and elected officials, Biden said, "Together, After earning an all Californians, and philanthropists, and with you, we're going undergraduate degree prosecuted transnaactivists,” the letter, to beat Trump." from Howard Univertional gangs that trafcirculated throughout Harris had routinesity and a law degree ficked in guns, drugs, the media and posted ly been seen as the top from the University of and human beings. to various social mepick, but her clashCalifornia, Hastings, Since taking office, dia accounts, read. es with Biden during she began her career she has introduced “We are health and the Democratic dein the Alameda Counand cosponsored legwellness practitioners. bates appeared to give ty District Attorney’s islation to raise wages We are entertainers Biden pause. Office. for working people, and faith leaders. We

However, Biden In 2003, Harris bereform our broken are wives, mothers, had been photocame the District Atcriminal justice sysdaughters, educators, graphed in recently torney of the City and tem, make healthand students. We set weeks with talking County of San Francare a right for all and shift culture. We points which noted cisco. Americans, address build power, and we not to hold a grudge Among her the epidemic of subare powerful.” against Harris. achievements as Disstance abuse, support Counting among

Sworn in as Senatrict Attorney, Harris veterans and military the many Black womtor in 2017, Harris bestarted a program that families, and expand en who signed the came the second Afrigives first-time drug access to childcare for open letter are Dr. can American woman offenders the chance working parents. Johnnetta B. Cole, and the first South to earn a high school Earlier Tuesday, Maya Cummings, Asian-American sendiploma and find emPresident Donald Dr. Hazel Dukes, ator in history. ployment. Trump suggested that Suzanne DePasse,

She has said that Having completed “some men are insultValeisha Butterfield her life as a prosecutwo terms as the Dised” that Biden had Jones, Cora Masters tor and fighting justrict Attorney of San long ago narrowed Barry, Melanie Camptice was inspired by Francisco, Kamala his search to women. bell, and Karen Boyher mother, an Indian was elected as the first However, Trump’s kin-Towns. American immigrant, African American and statements were seen “We are the highactivist and breast first woman to serve as a last-minute bid to est propensity voters cancer researcher. as California’s Attorrattle the Democrats. in this nation. We are

Growing up in ney General. Women’s groups a coalition of Black Oakland, Harris had In this role, she and the civil rights women leaders, who, “a stroller-eye view “worked tirelessly community in recent in this inflection point of the Civil Rights to hold corporations days had blasted meof the Black liberation movement,” accord- accountable and pro- dia members and indi- movement, where ing to her official bitect the state’s most viduals on social platpeople around the

world are galvanized to action, know that the time for Black women in the United States is now,” the women penned in the letter.

Earlier, 100 prominent Black men including Sean “Diddy” Combs, Charlamagne Tha God, NBA Star Chris Paul, Bakari Sellers, and rapper Doug E. Fresh, signed a letter of solidarity calling for Biden to select a Black woman.

“As someone who has said throughout the campaign that VP Joe Biden needs to choose a Black woman VP, the urgency for that pick has gone from something that should hap pen to something that has to hap- pen. It disgusts us that Black women are not just being vetted in this VP process but unfairly criticized and scrutinized,” the men wrote in the missive.

“Was Joe Biden ever labeled ‘too ambitious’ because he ran for president three times? Should President Obama not have made him the VP because he had to worry about his ‘loyalty’ when he clearly had ambitions to be president himself? Why does Senator Kamala Harris have to show remorse for questioning Biden’s previous stance on integrated busing during a democratic primary debate?”