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Today as girls across our country woke up to attend school, either in person, at home, or via their computers, I’m hoping they felt that any dream they might have is possible! That they have the freedom to dream BIG and say “I can be anything I want” and actually believe it!
In 2008 when it was announced that Barack Obama had won the election, I was a 4th/5th grade teacher in Brooklyn New York. The majority of my students were minorities. We had recently studied a unit on careers and the students had made a poster of what they wanted to be when they grew up. That morning of November 4th, 2008, one of my students walked into homeroom with the biggest smile on his face. He walked up to his poster and changed what he wanted to be. He changed it to the President!
That whole day, that whole school year the students in my classroom were able to see themselves in our leaders and the confidence that gave them was incredible!
I imagine that is happening all over again now- not only with girls and women but with all minorities. The leaders of America are starting to look like America both in their skin color and their genders. It’s about time!
I know many Americans are not happy with the election results. I also know many do not like Kamala’s politics. I do not claim to know a lot about politics but I do know that we are all human. Humans make mistakes, humans change their minds and we all have done things in our lives we might not be proud of. We have all done things in our lives which were at the time perhaps the best decision but further down the road perhaps it was not. No one is perfect. Instead of finding Kamala’s human and political flaws, today I want to celebrate this momentous day for women!
So regardless of who you wanted to win the election, I am hoping we can all stand behind this achievement for women. I am thrilled that Jax is growing up in a world where the Vice President of America is a woman. I tell him all the time that women can do anything! And now he doesn’t have to just hear it from me he can see it with his own eyes.
I was so proud to listen to Kamala Harris’s victory speech with my son and husband. While all Kamal Harris’s speech was incredible, you can read it here, one part that truly stuck out to me was this:
“Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities. And to the children of our country, regardless of your gender, our country has sent you a clear message:
Dream with ambition, lead with conviction, and see yourself in a way that others might not see you, simply because they’ve never seen it before. And we will applaud you every step of the way.”
So to all you girls and women of all ages, keep dreaming! I am going to do my part by raising a boy that will not only support strong girls and women in all corners of society but cheer you on!
