Kamala Harris and the American Dream
“The American dream belongs to all of us." — Kamala Harris
Last night, an extraordinary thing happened in American politics. The presumptive nominee for a major party election is a woman of color - Kamala Harris, a Black and South Asian woman.
We've been living in unprecedented times for quite a few years now (does anyone remember precedented times?) but this is remarkable. In the entire history of the United States, there have been 45 different presidents. 44 of them have been White. 45 have been men. This is the history facing Vice President Harris.
And yet last night, while on a Zoom call with 50,000 Black women, someone else came to mind. Not Vice President Harris. But someone very close to me. His name is Kevin from Yale.
I talk about the fictional Kevin from Yale in my TEDx talk and in many of my speeches. Kevin is great. He's a Black man who is a success in every space he enters. He is the manager, the partner, the junior executive, the top salesperson. He has a big laugh, always ready for a game, walks into every room dressed to impress, shoes shiny, tie never askew. Kevin likes good music and can talk about any topic, from sports to politics, with ease. Kevin is a success. Kevin is thriving. Kevin has made it. And the thought that might go through your head is, "Wow, it must be so easy to be Kevin from Yale." Because everyone wants to hire him. Everyone wants to BE him.
But if that's what you think, here's another question. Do you know what Kevin feels like when he walks into that room and realizes that, yet again, he is the only Black man there? When he goes into a meeting and knows that he has to represent every Black man out there. Because Kevin from Yale is everyone's one Black friend. Do you know the mental toll it takes on Kevin from Yale to be Kevin from Yale? To have been Kevin from Yale every single day? To have never been anything but Kevin from Yale his entire professional life? Because to wobble for even a second on that tight rope he is walking on is to have someone turn to him and think, explicitly or implicitly, “Oh, I guess he’s just like the rest of them.”
I know what it's like to be Kevin from Yale. It feels like that when I work in predominantly White workplaces. Attend predominantly White schools. Walk in predominantly White neighborhoods. Exist in predominantly White spaces. The feeling of being watched and weighed and found wanting.
Last night, in text messages, in group chats, on blog posts, and on that 50,000-strong Zoom call, Black women shared what it feels like every day to know that you are carrying multiple identity groups on your shoulders. To run a race where you feel like you are perpetually doing it with one hand tied behind your back. And to always, no matter how successful you are, have people doubt you and think that you didn't deserve the place that you've earned.
And here we are today. The world didn't change overnight. But here's hoping the reality of racism can turn into the reality of equity, inclusion, and a future where we work to create systems that bring equality and justice for all, whatever side you stand on the political aisle. It is a dream. But it will never come true unless we start believing it can.
Do the work
This election season, I commit to working for the change I want to see in the world.
We Are Not a Melting Pot
If you want to keep going
Across the globe, words have become so charged that debates and discussion quickly veer into anger and accusations. We see it again and again, in our workplaces, our homes, our schools, our lives. And yet, we cannot move forward on inclusion and belonging unless we can successfully share our own perspectives while recognizing the perspectives of others. But having those conversations without the right preparation can lead to anger, frustration, and the belief that tackling difference is not worth all the conflict it brings. That’s where A More Perfect Union enters.
In A More Perfect Union, we start with the possibility, or why these differences matter in our world. Then we move into the reality, using charged phrases and fragmented identites to understand how we became polarized in our silos. Next, we address the solution – civility – the fundamental basis of our shared civilization. Finally, we end with the ten steps we can all take starting now to rebuild a civilization centered on dignity, empathy, respect, and a more perfect union for us all.
