It's About Damn Time: Two Women Flank President In House Chamber
President Joe Biden’s address to a joint session of Congress last night was a historic moment for women everywhere
Remember how it felt when Joe Biden was announced to be the winner of the election, and the realization came that that meant our country had elected a woman as Vice President? For me, it was just about the highlight of that entire election. For women all over the world, Vice President Kamala Harris is an icon — and inspiration. And now she, alongside Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, has made history once again.
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During Biden’s address to a joint session of Congress last night, it was Harris and Pelosi who sat on either side of him. For the first time in history, the President addressed Congress and the nation with two women by his side.
It was a historic moment that Biden did not let pass without recognition.
“Madame Speaker, Madame Vice President,” he said, as the room erupted into loud applause. “No president has ever said those words from this podium, no president has ever said those words, and it’s about time.”
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It’s. About. Time. Women everywhere, of all ages, are seeing that we can have a seat at one of the most powerful tables in the world. It’s finally happening.
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On social media, people celebrated this history-making milestone.
People are very much recognizing what a big freaking deal this moment is, and hoping it signals a new, more equal era in American politics.
And, of course, Harris and Pelosi were total icons while it happened.
These are two women who are no strangers to making history. Pelosi is the first woman ever to serve as the Speaker of the House of Representatives. And when she was elected, Harris became the first woman, first Black American, and first Asian American to be Vice President. That’s in addition to Biden’s cabinet, which is the most diverse in recent history — it’s 55 percent nonwhite, and 45 percent women, according to NPR.
Of course, while this is a moment to celebrate, the work is far from over to make politics, workplaces, and the world safe and equal for women and the BIPOC community. Even as women fill the Vice President’s and Speaker’s seat, it’s still hard to imagine an America where a woman is the President, as much as it needs to happen. This gives hope, though, that the first woman president is coming. Maybe she was even seated next to Biden last night.
