Today Kamala Harris will take the vice-presidential oath of office and become the 46th Vice President of the United States of America. 

Harris succeeds 45 white males who have previously held the office, becoming the first female and first African American female to hold the nation’s second-highest office as well as the many other firsts that come with this historic moment. 

Harris has spent her life breaking glass ceilings and checking off firsts. She was the first female district attorney in San Francisco, the first female attorney general of California, and the first African American woman to represent California in the Senate. 

According to The Guardian, “If Joe Biden only serves one term, as expected, there is a chance that in 2024 she could become the first black female president.”

Not only will Harris make history today, but she will prove to girls and women all around the country that their hard work will pay off. 

For young people that look up to Harris, a woman becoming vice president is way more than just a check in the box.

Alexandra Trahan, and senior at Howard University, told USA Today, “As a Black woman … I know it’s incredibly hard for people who look like me to achieve what Kamala has. Those change-making feelings, I guess you could call them, I won’t feel those until inauguration, until I see it happening in real-time, until I know it’s set in stone. To say I’m on edge … is an understatement.” 

Trahan represents millions of women across the country as they hold their breath today, watching a moment that seemed as if it might never happen. 

Hilary Clinton tweeted, “To all the little girls watching…never doubt that you are valuable and powerful & deserving of every chance & opportunity in the world.”  

Unlike Vice President Mike Pence, Harris is planning on holding a central role as vice president. 

Associated Press reports that Harris “will be involved in all four of the major priorities they’ve set out: turning around the economy, tackling COVID-19, and addressing climate change and racial justice.”

Biden wants Harris to be “the last voice in the room” when making big decisions and hold her opinions and perspective in high regard. 

Harris is here, and she is here to shake up the boys club that has existed in Washington for way too long. 

Today at noon, as the Biden administration is ushered in, Harris will add another title to her long list of firsts, Madame Vice President.