‘Tears were just flowing:’ Richmond NAACP president talks Kamala Harris’ historic win

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Vice President-elect and California Sen. Kamala Harris is making history as the first woman, first Black woman and first person of South Asian dissent to be elected to the White House. For local social justice advocates, seeing the Biden-Harris ticket win the presidency was emotional.

“They were in tears, my mother especially,” said James Minor, President of the Richmond chapter of the NAACP.

Former Vice President Joe Biden chose Harris as his running mate in August, following the end of her own presidential campaign. Biden was declared the winner on Saturday, Nov. 8 securing the necessary 270 Electoral College votes.

Minor says he watched Biden and Harris speak Saturday night.

“I was just in tears, tears flowing because of the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris,” Minor said.

Harris is the first Black woman elected as vice president, the first Black person elected to the title.

“While I may be the first woman in this office, I won’t be the last,” Harris said during her victory speech.

“She knows the struggle that women have been through," Minor said. “She knows what Black folks have been through, and some of us are still going through.”

President-elect Biden specifically mentioned the importance of Black supporters during his campaign.

“Biden said it last night, he really wouldn’t have won if it wasn’t for African Americans,” Minor said.

Minor said having a Black woman elected as vice president may be seen as a “win” for the Black community, but the work isn’t over.

“Does that mean we need to stop? No," Minor said. “We need to continue to mobilize, to organize, to bring the Black, brown, white, and red to the table.”

Biden and Harris have both said they’re willing to help overcome the differences between different races in the U.S.

“The road ahead will not be easy, but America is ready, and so are Joe and I,” Harris said.

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