Black female Minnesota state representatives respond to historic Harris win

(FOX 9) - Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is the first woman elected to a position in the White House. Harris is Black, Southeast Asian, and the daughter of an immigrant mother.

“To be in this place now where they have a black female vice president, I mean, I’m getting chills just saying that,” Minnesota State Representative and Chair of the United Black Legislative Caucus, Rena Moran said. 

Representative Moran calls Harris’ win a victory for women everywhere, especially young women of color. 

“For all of the black little girls running around to believe that they can really make a difference, it just means the world. I mean I am truly, truly excited,” Rep. Moan said.

Minneapolis Mayor Melvin Carter tweeted he told his 8-month-old daughter that she looks like the Vice President. That kind of representation is something Minnesota State Representative Ruth Richardson says is a symbol of a more diverse future.

“Representation really matters because being able to see reflections of yourself in sectors of power with an elected office, it really tells little ones what’s possible,” Rep. Richardson said. 

As she reflects on this moment, Rep. Richardson said she thinks of all of the women who came before Harris. Exactly 100 years ago, the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote. The Voting Rights Act, passed 55 years ago, guaranteed that right for women of color. 

“What’s really not lost on me regarding this moment is the historic legacy and just the ancestors that she’s standing on the shoulders of tonight,” Rep. Richardson said.