An inspiring digital spot has captured the historic inauguration of Kamala Harris as Vice President of the United States, through the eyes of girls across America.
The film, ‘Today We Rise’, shows the real-time reactions of girls and their families across the United States, as they watch Harris’ inauguration as the first woman, first African American, and first Asian American vice president.
Made in partnership with Refinery29 and Ogilvy, the video comes from the United Nation Foundation’s gender equality and leadership initiative, Girl Up, and was shared to YouTube.
The piece reportedly came together within hours of Harris’ inauguration, as she gave her oath to the first Latina to serve on the US high court, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
“U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris made history as the first female, Black, and South Asian American to hold the office inspiring a generation of young leaders to follow in her footsteps,” Girl Up writes of the campaign.
“‘Today We Rise,’ illustrates the unmeasurable impact that the images of Vice President Harris taking her oath of office, administered by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina to serve on the nation’s highest court, will have on generations to come.”
Speaking of the inauguration of Harris, Girl Up club leader Serena Young, from Florida, said: “Watching the first female VP, Kamala Harris, being sworn in, was a moment both monumental and inconsequential.
“It was a miraculous turning point for a nation, for the world and for humanity. It was finally, finally happening. But also inconsequential, because it won’t be the last, only the first of many, many more.
“It felt like a long-time-coming, a dream that was envisioned by millions and over hundreds of years, finally turning to reality. It was 60 seconds that flew by too fast, but seconds I will remember forever.”
“I share a middle name with Kamala Harris, and we both are proud Indian-American women,” Girl Up coalition leader Navya Chintamam, from Texas, said.
“To see an Indian-American woman become the Vice President of the United States, the second leading authority in American politics, feels like a fantasy.
“Regardless, it is a testament to my capabilities, which will never be silenced by my identity. She herself faced racial discrimination and gender inequality in her political and professional journey, and her perseverance inspires me and countless other young girls and women.
“Her inauguration is a moment that makes me feel seen in American politics, and it gives me hope that I can break barriers in the future. My identity empowers me to do so, just like Vice President Harris.”
To read more reactions to Harris’ historic inauguration, click here.
The campaign came as The Guardian UK honoured Harris’ inauguration with a full-page advertisement in its daily paper, created by agency Uncommon.
Featured image source: YouTube/Girl Up
