To: The Wellesley College Community
From: President Paula A. Johnson
Re: The 2020 Presidential Election—A Historic First
Date: November 7, 2020
Following a momentous U.S. presidential election, the Democratic ticket of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won a hard-fought victory today.
For the first time in our nation’s history, a woman—who is both Black and Indian American—will be our vice president. It is especially fitting that this historic result coincides with the centennial of the amendment that abolished legal barriers to women’s right to vote.
For our community in particular, this milestone has special meaning. Four years ago, not long after I arrived at Wellesley, we gathered to celebrate what we anticipated would be the election of our nation’s first woman president. That did not happen. Despite our disappointment, we have carried on undaunted. We have reaffirmed our core values, regardless of our political views: justice, equity, the pursuit of knowledge. The need for a path forward for everyone, no matter their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, socioeconomic status, country of origin, or immigration status.
This moment leads me to reflect on the many “firsts” to which I have been witness. I think of Shirley Chisholm, from my home district in Brooklyn, N.Y., who became the first Black woman to serve in the U.S. Congress when I was just 9 years old. I think of Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman on a major presidential ticket. I think of Carol Moseley Braun, the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate.
In her 2016 concession speech, Hillary Rodham Clinton ’69 said, “I know we have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling, but someday, someone will.” Now, with Kamala Harris’ victory, we are one step closer.
And vice president-elect Harris is not the only first to come out of this campaign. New Mexico elected all women of color to its Congressional delegation for the first time in the state’s history. More Republican women will be serving in Congress than ever before. Ritchie Torres and Mondaire Jones, both of New York, will be the first openly gay Black men elected to Congress. And Sarah McBride of Delaware will be the first openly trans woman to serve as a state senator.
While this election brings to a close one chapter, it marks the beginning of another. Our country is divided and polarized. Expressions of racism and hatred have increased, and economic disparities have worsened. Against this backdrop, the transformative power of Wellesley and of liberal arts education is more relevant and necessary than ever. As individuals and as members of the Wellesley community, we are called to recommit to doing the hard but joyous work of building a more just and equitable world, connecting across difference, recognizing and uplifting the dignity of all people. I know we will rise to meet this challenge. Our future depends on it.
Over these past weeks, our community has demonstrated the very best of Wellesley. You have lived your values. You have learned and shared. You have organized. You have voted. And you have done it all amid the unprecedented challenges of a global pandemic. I could not be prouder of each and every one of you, or more honored to be among you. I am excited that we are stepping into the future together.
