- Kensington Elementary School
- Homepage
National Election Results: Bay Area's Kamala Harris is First Woman, Indian-American, Black-American Vice President
November 8, 2020
Happy Sunday WCCUSD Community,
Many of us woke Saturday morning to the news that Bay Area native, Kamala Harris became the first woman, the first Indian-American and the first Black-American to be elected Vice President.
After four days of uncertainty we have clarity as Joe Bidden was announced as the new President-Elect. The announcement of Biden-Harris as the new presidential team provides an atmosphere of renewed hope and the belief that ALL members of ALL communities are important and matter.
There is renewed hope for policies that support students, families and districts like WCCUSD and for future education funding. We had a record number of people vote in this election with close to 145,000,000 million cast in the presidential race as of Saturday.
Voting is power and you exercised that power in record numbers. Participation is the foundation of our working democracy and I want to thank each and every one of you for taking part both here locally and nationally. Voting matters. Your voice matters.
We owe a large part of the results to young voters and voters of color. Turnout for young voters ages 18 to 29 has been reported as 8% higher than the 2016 elections, and 53% of eligible youth cast a vote in this election. Thank you young voters. And to WCCUSD’s future young voters, I can’t wait to follow your lead.
Today is about taking a moment to breathe and to work toward acknowledging our differences and creating a better place for students, families and ourselves. These are teachable moments about the value of voice, participation and representation. Vice President-elect Harris, the daughter of an Indian mother and Jamaican father, is such an inspiration to WCCUSD’s girls of color and to all of WCCUSD’s students. A symbol of diversity, grace, and opportunity. She is the highest ranking woman in our government’s history. And she is from the Bay Area.
Locally, you helped usher in a new era with at least three new Board members and a possible 4th new member still too close to call. These new board members are set to be seated at the second Board meeting in December. I am looking forward to working with the new board to care, love and support our WCCUSD students, families and staff. Again, congrats to the Biden Harris team on this historic day.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Best,
Matthew Duffy
Superintendent