Last night, on my way to the Harris HQ watch party, I was driving down a motorway approaching Washington, DC, with Kamala signs covering my rental car.
The road was endless, my eyes gritty and bleary from a day of campaigning that began at 4:30am, crossing three states, endlessly promoting Harris’ platform on TV and knocking on over 1,000 doors, but my heart was full.
A car pulled up beside me and honked. Annoyed, I prepared to flip a finger, but as I turned my head, I saw a young Black girl beaming, holding her own Kamala sign and waving it with all her heart.
I paused, honked back, waved and then became overcome with emotion. We were doing it for her, I thought.
All the hours, sleepless nights, exhaustion, leaving my life in the UK and moving to another country — it was all for that girl and all the others like her.
And it was worth it because tonight, we would finally welcome America’s first female president and turn the page on Donald Trump’s division and hatred.
Except we didn’t.
Now it feels like that future has been taken from her — from all of us — not just for those who, like me, believed in Kamala’s vision but for everyone who will have to endure the next four years.
I think of that young girl and others like her, who deserve a future that reflects the promise we fought for.
For what it’s worth, I hope I’ve been wrong. I hope Trump and Vance don’t impose nationwide bans on abortion, dismantle democracy and concede Ukraine to Putin.
In her 2016 concession, Hillary Clinton said, ‘We owe Donald Trump an open mind and the chance to lead.’ She was gracious, but we’ve seen what kind of leader he is now.
We don’t owe him an open mind, he owes us honest leadership that serves the people and protects their rights. He owes us more than just occupying the White House.
In the Harris camp, the mood is sombre, but there are flickers of resilience.
We gave it our all, and we believed in what and who 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.
She is smart, experienced, and tough, with a career built on fighting for justice and equality. I’ve defended her from day one and will continue to do so.
As a prosecutor, senator, and vice president, Kamala has shown time and again that she has the strength, resilience and intelligence to lead. If there’s a flaw to be found in the campaign, it’s not in the candidate.
She inspired millions and instilled hope that the future could be brighter than the past.
I can’t get the image of that young girl on the motorway out of my head — her hopeful face, her smile as she waved her Kamala sign.
What is she doing now? Did she stay up? I suppose her mum has told her by now.
What are they going through? All across America — and the world — mothers and fathers will be breaking this news to their children, and my heart aches for them.
For my part in that, I’m sorry. But, I am sure that it’s for her that we must keep going. Even in the face of this heartbreak — in fact, especially — 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. And it hurts, it really does, but maybe, one day, that girl will take up the mantle herself.
Maybe she’ll be the one to finally finish what we started. And then maybe this will have all been worth it.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk.
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