Politics & Race - Have Times Changed?

 In 1904, George Edwin Taylor became the first African-American to run for President of the United States. In 2020, we have the first African-American woman to run for Vice-President. 

    Running for president will never be an easy race and there will never be a perfect candidate. Since 1904, times have changed and people of color are now given more freedom and opportunities. Edwin George Taylor did not have these equal opportunities that Kamala Harris has now. Unfortunately, our country still has minds that tend to neglect these non-segregated and equal times. There are still similarities that Kamala Harris shares with George Taylor concerning the roles they play as advocates for their race.

    In 1904, George Edwin Taylor was the first African-American man to run for president as a third party candidate for the United States. The National Liberty Party that Taylor was involved in even named him as their presidential candidate. He was aware of the ridicule it would bring him, but he pushed on anyway. There were even states that went as far as leaving his name entirely off the ballot. A direct quote from Taylor that was posted in the newspaper stated, “Yes, I know most white folks take me as a joke … but I want to tell you the colored man is beginning to see a lot of things that the white folks do not give him credit for seeing. He’s beginning to see that he has got to take care of his own interests, and what’s more, that he has the power to do it." He wanted people to understand that he was more than just his skin color and he was the symbol that represented this growth. However, he wasn't elected and Theodore Roosevelt once again took the position as president. Following this loss, Taylor went on to become a manager of Promotion Publishing co., a newspaper company, in Jacksonville, Florida. 

   

    This year, 2020, the first African-American and Indian-American woman to be nominated for national office, as vice president for Joe Biden, is Kamala Harris. Before being awarded this position, Harris was California's attorney general, then followed to be the Democratic representative for California in the U.S Senate. As she continued to rise through the ranks, she delivered a quote at the first Democratic debate in 2019 and it goes as follows, "On the issue of race I couldn’t agree more that this is an issue that is still not being talked about truthfully and honestly. There is not a black man I know, be he a relative, a friend, or a coworker who has not been the subject of some form of profiling or discrimination. Growing up my sister and I had to deal with the neighbor who told us her parents said couldn’t play with us because we were Black." Harris directly addressed the major issue still continuing on in America today. An issue that she herself is currently facing among the internet; she receives countless racist and sexist remarks due to her nominated position. Although, going against these online attacks towards Harris, are her supporters that started a campaign: "#wehaveherback". Kamala Harris being nominated is a huge feat, not only for women, but for women and men of color. Following this years events of protests and riots due to the police brutality victim, George Floyd and countless others; This is a win for those still fighting for equality.

    Despite the time gap, these two have many similarities concerning their situations and who they are as people. Not only are Taylor and Harris known advocates for the African-American community, but they're represented as symbols of growth for their community. Although, while Taylor received much more harassment and ridicule, Harris is undergoing the same kind of treatment. They're put down for being involved in a matter, that anybody should be equally accepted into, due to their skin color. Just as Taylor wasn't alone through his difficult times, neither is Harris. He had the National Liberty Party supporting him every step of way while she has her fair share of supporters as well. Even though they both experienced such animosity; George Taylor stayed fighting for his beliefs up until the very end just as Kamala Harris is bravely doing today.

https://www.blackenterprise.com/black-history-month-son-slave-ran-president/

https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/running-president-george-edwin-taylor-1904/

https://uwpress.wisc.edu/books/4801.htm

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/11/us/politics/kamala-harris-vp-biden.html

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kamala-Harris

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/08/12/nation/kamala-harris-faces-racist-sexist-online-attacks-womens-groups-democratic-operatives-say-they-have-her-back/