Even the election of a xenophobic, racist, misogynistic cloud will have some silver linings

It was a hard November. The securing of the presidency by Republican candidate Donald Trump has charged the international community, yet united us all in apprehension of what is to come. Even one day following Trump’s being named the Presidential Elect, photos, videos, and stories circulated in the media exposing incidents of racism and xenophobia occurring across the nation. Some people feel liberated, other’s fear for their lives. Hateful and terror-stricken discourse is unavoidable across Facebook feeds and Twitter threads. I am at a loss. I can offer you no revolutionary angle that makes Donald Trump’s jurisdiction over the free world copacetic. What I can offer you are 7 instances of hope, elected into their respective positions this past November, whom deserve our attention and celebration.

(1) Ilhan Omar will begin her position as the Democratic Farmer Labor Party legislator at The Minnesota House of Representatives as the nation’s first ever Somali-American lawmaker in January of 2017.

(2) Voters elected Jewell Jones as the State Representative for Michigan. At 22 years old Jones has become the youngest American to ever fill this position, let alone the youngest black American to serve their state at such a previously unprecedented level.

(3) In Oregon, Kate Brown will begin her term as the first openly LGBTQ+ governor to ever serve in this position in the United States.

(4) The state of Washington’s Pramila Jayapal will begin her term as the first Indian-American elected to the House of Representatives on January 3rd, 2017.

(5) The election in Nevada saw Catherine Cortez Mastro defeat Joe Heck, securing her the position of Senator-elect, going down in history as the first-ever Latina Senator in the United States.

(6) In Illinois Tammy Duckworth made history as the first ever Thai-American Senator toserve in the state, and the nation’s second ever Asian-American Senator.

(7) California will be welcoming their first ever black Senator Kamala Harris. Following her victory on November 8th, 2016, Harris also became the second black female and the first Indian-American Senator to serve in the United States.

Evidently, Hillary Clinton’s own success in being the first women to secure the nomination of the Democratic Party for the 2016 Presidential Election should not go overlooked, especially considering her victory in obtaining the popular vote. Clinton, while incontestably an imperfect candidate, triumphed in her progression to unparalleled levels of leadership held by a woman in America and for that I offer her my modest props. The glass ceiling she aimed to shatter did not escape unscathed.

Through highlighting these positive outcomes of representation in American politics, by no means do I intend to suggest that the United States is a nation no longer affected by prejudicial ideologies. I instead aim only to provide a source of hope for those whom feel victimized and fearful of what is to come. Look upon these instances of progression as an antithetical inauguration of the potential America could one day achieve. Recognize the unsettling implications for America’s history among this limited list of “first-evers” but don’t let this prevent you from commending their accomplishments. We’ve got to start somewhere.

I’d like to end on a quote from Kamala Harris that she delivered to a cheering crowd inside Exchange LA after her victory had become apparent. Exclaimed Harris, “[w]hatever the results of the presidential election […] we know that we have a task in front of us. We know the stakes are high […w]hen we have been attacked and when our ideals and fundamental ideals are being attacked, do we retreat or do we fight? I say we fight!” Harris forecasts an optimistic future of resistance and strength. A future, I suggest, we hold onto as we weather the upcoming storm.

Image courtesy of Tess King