Women of color share pride as Harris shatters glass ceiling

Chronicle photographer Yalonda M. James spent inauguration week in Washington photographing women of color and talking to them about the personal and historical significance of Kamala Harris shattering gender and racial barriers to become the first woman, Black person and South Asian to hold the office of vice president of the United States. Here’s what some of them had to say:

“I think it’s amazing. I’m just super, super excited. Tears of joy. Just all the gooey feelings with her becoming vice president. It’s funny because like a few years ago I was talking to people and I was like kind of joking, like, ‘Agh. I’m going to be the first brown president of the United States.’ It was funny because I didn’t think that was possible until maybe in the next 2030 years, and I didn’t think any brown person would reach that level until I was old enough. And so the fact that it’s happened and she’s done it and broken this amazing, ridiculous glass ceiling is awesome to see and just so, so exciting. Not expected and so much more to do and she’s now paved the way. Like I know I can see myself in some incredibly glamorous position in this country because of her and the other women that have helped sort of pave this way. So just super exciting and it’s awesome.”