Black women applaud Biden’s choice for VP

‘Sen. Kamala Harris is highly qualified and has a proven record of fighting for human and civil rights.’

WASHINGTON — Today, Joe Biden announced that Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) will be his running mate in the Democratic bid for the White House. In Our Own Voice: National Reproductive Justice Agenda President and CEO Marcela Howell issued the following statement in response:

“Sen. Kamala Harris is highly qualified and has a proven record of fighting for human and civil rights. As a Black woman born to immigrant parents, Sen. Harris understands, personally, how devastatingly unjust the Trump-Pence administration’s attacks on our most basic rights have been. She knows how it feels and what it means to be targeted because of race, gender, and national origin.

“We know that Trump and his supporters will ramp up unabashed racism and sexism to target Sen. Harris — just as they have against Black women since they were elected in 2016. This time, we expect a free and responsible press to report truth and shut down blatant misogyny and white supremacy. The media must focus on the issues at stake in this election. Our federal government continues to fumble with a global pandemic — killing Americans, especially Black people, every single day — all while the president works to undermine confidence in our elections, our institutions, and the free press. That free press must do the job our founders envisioned by reporting facts, not being distracted by Trump’s histrionics, and holding all of the candidates accountable for their records.

“Today, we celebrate the first Black woman on a presidential ticket; tomorrow, we double-down our efforts to register and educate voters. Come Election Day, we will ensure that Black women, our families, and communities get out to vote — and that every one of our votes is counted.”