November 6th 2024.
As I made my way to the Harris HQ watch party, the atmosphere was heavy and sombre. The weight of the election hung over us all, but I couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope as I drove down the motorway towards Washington, DC. My rental car was covered in Kamala signs, a symbol of the tireless campaigning I had been a part of since the early hours of the morning.
The road seemed endless, and my eyes were tired and gritty from the long day of promoting Harris' platform on TV and knocking on countless doors. But despite the exhaustion, my heart was full. As I drove, a car pulled up beside me and honked. Annoyed at first, I was about to respond with a rude gesture, but as I turned to look, I saw a young Black girl grinning from ear to ear. She held her own Kamala sign and waved it with all her might.
In that moment, something shifted inside of me. I honked back, waved, and then found myself overcome with emotion. It was for her, and all the other young girls like her, that we had been working so hard. All the late nights, the sacrifices of leaving my life in the UK to move to another country - it was all for them. And it would all be worth it when we finally welcomed America's first female president and turned the page on the division and hatred of the Trump administration.
But as we all know now, that future was taken from us. Not just for those of us who believed in Kamala's vision, but for everyone who will have to endure the next four years. I can't help but think of that young girl on the motorway and all the others like her. They deserve a future that reflects the promise we fought for.
For what it's worth, I hope that I am wrong. I hope that Trump and Vance do not impose nationwide bans on abortion, dismantle democracy, or concede Ukraine to Putin. In her 2016 concession speech, Hillary Clinton said that we owe Donald Trump an open mind and the chance to lead. She was gracious, but we have now seen what kind of leader he truly is.
As for me, I hope that Trump and Vance do not dismantle democracy. We do not owe them an open mind. They owe us honest leadership that serves the people and protects their rights. They owe us more than just occupying the White House.
Amongst the Harris team, the mood is sombre, but there are glimmers of resilience. We gave it our all, and we believed in what we were fighting for. Kamala stood for something bigger - a vision of a future where everyone belongs, where the government serves the people, all the people.
I have been volunteering with the Harris campaign, and I can say with certainty that she is smart, experienced, and tough. Her entire career has been built on fighting for justice and equality. I have defended her from day one, and I will continue to do so. As a prosecutor, senator, and now vice president, Kamala has shown time and again that she has the strength, resilience, and intelligence to lead. If there is a flaw to be found in this campaign, it is certainly not in the candidate.
She has inspired millions and instilled hope that the future could be brighter than the past. I can't shake the image of that young girl on the motorway from my mind - her hopeful face, her beaming smile as she waved her Kamala sign. I wonder what she is doing now. Did she stay up late to watch the results? I suppose her mother has told her by now. I can't help but think about all the parents across America and the world who will have to break this news to their children. My heart aches for them.
For my part in that, I am sorry. But I am sure that it is for her, and all the other young girls and boys, that we must keep going. Even in the face of this heartbreak - in fact, especially in the face of it - I have to believe that what we did mattered. That we made a difference, even if we couldn't see it through to the end. It hurts, it really does, but perhaps one day, that girl on the motorway will take up the mantle herself. Maybe she will be the one to finally finish what we started. And then, just maybe, all of this will have been worth it.
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