While watching the election results come in until the early hours of the morning, I reflected on the tightrope Black women walk in this country. No matter how hard we work, how much we deliver or how consistently we show up, there will always be those who tell us it’s not enough. Yet, in the face of that, we persist, and when we persist, we make history.
Vice President Kamala Harris embodies this unyielding determination. As the first Black woman to hold the second-highest office in the land, she has shattered glass ceilings and led with purpose. Her legacy is already one of action: securing $17 billion in funding for HBCUs, championing maternal health equity and fighting to protect our fundamental freedoms. She’s proven that leadership isn’t about titles—it’s about delivering for the people who need it most.
And that’s what fueled my fight this election season—it was a fight for our values, our voices and our future. I had no choice but to show up, if for nothing else, for my nine-year-old son Carter, who needs me to fight for his future. It is my Carter who reminds me that even in the darkest hours, the fight will always be worth it.
As we move forward, one thing remains clear: Black women, no matter the challenges, are leading the fight for democracy. And our joy—our unbreakable, unstoppable joy—keeps us moving forward.
As we celebrate Vice President Harris as EBONY’s Icon of the Year, let’s honor her legacy by finding the icon within ourselves. Because when Black women rise, we don’t just change history—we shape the future.
Congresswoman Nikema Williams shared more with EBONY about the living legacy of Vice President Harris, her historic campaign for president and the future of leadership and progress for Black America.
EBONY: Vice President Harris is EBONY Power 100’s Icon of the Year. What makes her an icon to you?
U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams (GA-05): She had already made history as the first woman Vice President in this country and the first Black and South Asian woman to serve in this role. Knowing how difficult the odds were and how the tables and cards were stacked against us, she still stepped up to lead. Because that’s what leaders do. That’s what people do when they’re not thinking about themselves. Even if it didn’t work out for her, everything that she did paves the way for the next person who will come behind her and will be successful. It changed the game of how people perceive power and leadership and not just this country, but the world. We need more people who are willing to step up and represent all of us in this country and our country will be better for it.
She was willing to step up and lead through adversity.
You don’t often get to choose those moments; the moments choose you. And this moment, she chose to step up and lead this country. She knew it wouldn’t be easy. She knew what this meant because we rarely get a second chance. She stepped up in this task that would’ve been not easy even if it had not been 107 days. But she didn’t cower from it. That joyful warrior spirit that we saw in the campaign trail is something that I hope we see more of.
What does it say to not only see a woman, but a Black woman ascend to powerful positions and be held with such high regard?
We are forever grateful and better off because of her service and what she’s done to normalize Black women being in these spaces. And, the good thing is, I don’t think she’s going away. She’s not going anywhere. She won’t be too far. She understands that there is still more work to be done. And this election was bigger than just her.
Black women led the support for Kamala Harris, with a whopping 92% of the vote across the nation. That is a definitive statement of the support of our female community.
There’d been these [Zoom] conversations every Sunday night for the past couple of years leading up to this moment. It just so happened that the day that Joe Biden stepped down was also a Sunday evening, and a Zoom call was already scheduled [for the group Win With Black Women]. That literally broke Zoom because it did not have the capacity to hold all the Black women who were so excited and ready to step up and lead at that moment. Then, it inspired other people because we understand that we have to build multiracial coalitions to get this done.
What do you say about the disappointment and frustration many may feel after the election?
I couldn’t help but, at that moment, think that I would never be enough for this country. And in that moment, I was hurt. But I also know that having processed those feelings and looking at what has happened in this country, I know that these are the moments I must step up. Under this administration, we are in for a lot in the next four years. And as Black women, we deserve to be protected. And, sometimes, that means that we have to protect ourselves. I know I have to stand up to protect women in this country.
The most recent election dealt a devastating blow for many Democrats across the country. Voter turnout was not where it needed to be across Black communities. What is needed for re-engagement?
We know that we’re not a monolith. There are some Black people who chose a different candidate than I chose. But we know that this one election cycle does not define who we are as a people, and it does not define where we’re going. So, we have more work to be done. We did what we could in the timeframe we had. But so many people have bought into misinformation and disinformation.
We’ve got to communicate with people where they are. We’ve got to meet people in the spaces that they are. We often lose people when it comes to traditional media. And we must respond to things that are coming at especially young voters who live a very TikTok-style life. We have a lot to do to change how we communicate with people and to ensure that we are combating misinformation and disinformation in our society.
Kamala Harris’ impact on this country is a living and lasting legacy. What has meant to you?
It was an honor of my life to step up and to be able to go on the campaign trail, to do everything that I could in this historic time of 107 days for a campaign. Most people run for four or eight years, but she did this in 107 days. And, while we didn’t get the results that we wanted, she changed the game. She changed the conversation to show so many other little Black and brown girls that they can be viewed as leaders not just in Congress or their cities but also on a national scale and globally.
What message do you want to share with the Vice President?
You are enough. You are more than enough.