Professors Discuss of Significance of a Potential Kamala Harris Presidency in Panel Discussion

Over 75 students and faculty crowded into Coffey Hall’s McCormick Lounge Oct. 22 for a panel discussion concerning Vice President Kamala Harris and her campaign for president, titled “The Potential Significance of America’s First Black Woman President: A Critical Discussion.” 

The event was hosted by the History Department Diversity Committee and featured a panel composed of Loyola professors Dr. Zhandarka Kurti, Dr. Twyla Blackmond Darnell and Dr. Jacqueline Scott. The discussion was moderated by Diversity Committee Chair and Assistant Professor of history Dr. Tikia K. Hamilton.

Hamilton, whose research focuses on African American history, said she organized the event as part of a larger effort to create more diverse opportunities for intellectual exchange at Loyola.

“Specifically for the election, I mean I was looking around and I’m like, ‘we’re not doing anything for this election,’” she said. “There’s so many historic events that have occurred since I’ve been here and they kind of fall by the wayside, so I thought specifically the History Department should be at the forefront of trying to host something like this.”

Hamilton started the discussion by providing historical context on past female Black leaders who have led the struggle for racial and gender equality in America including abolitionist Sojourner Truth, voting rights advocate Fannie Lou Hamer and the first Black woman elected to Congress Shirley Chisholm. 

A few students enrolled in Hamilton’s African American Women’s History class, who were attending the event in lieu of their regularly scheduled class meeting, were invited to share the research they’d conducted on the notable figures. Third-year history major Grace Kubek, who presented on abolitionist Maria Stewart, said she appreciated the different perspectives featured on the panel.

“So many things that were brought up in this panel aren’t things we talk about, either because we use the excuse that we don’t have the expertise to talk about them, we don’t confront these issues,” Kubek said. “So I thought it was important for students to listen and think about how we can talk about this.”

After laying out details regarding Harris’ career and personal background, Hamilton introduced the first central question for the panel to consider — to what degrees is Harris’ multiracial background affecting the election, and how will it affect the nation if she defeats former President Donald Trump?

In her response, Scott, an assistant professor and chairperson of the Philosophy Department, said she often tells her students the country is in the awkward teenage years of talking about race, and we still aren’t very good at it. She said this is important when asking why Harris isn’t performing better in the race. 

“People seem to be really surprised, and I was like ‘Well, I mean what if we just start with racism and sexism, that might be a reason, should we investigate that?’” she said during the discussion. “But then if you bring that up then you’re just going to identity politics, which is somehow a bad thing — that’s another topic for another time — and so I just sort of say ‘Why don’t we investigate this.’”

Looking back at the election of former President Barack Obama, Kurti, an assistant professor of criminal justice, noted how his presidency galvanized the far right and white supremacists. 

“We saw actually an uptick in the rise of white supremacist movements as a backlash to Obama,” Kurti said. “What can we imagine in terms of a Black woman president, in terms of misogyny and the red-pilled manosphere, all this stuff that Trump and the far-right really give a platform to.”

Hamilton’s second guiding question surrounded why misogyny exists within Black communities, in light of Harris shedding some support among Black men, according to recent polls. Kurti said this discussion was indicative of a larger trend she’s noticed where Black and Latino men have increasingly been interested in Trump and other right wing politicians. 

“Something really important is happening here that I think is fueling the politics where men of color are feeling some type of way, they are feeling left behind, they are feeling aggrieved,” Kurti said. “And I think we focus that conversation a lot on white men because we can point to mass shootings and the rise of the far right, but I think something quieter is happening with Black and Latino men being drawn to far right politics.”

Next, Hamilton directed the panelists to a question surrounding criminal justice reform, discussing how the national mood has shifted since the 2020 election when Harris’ background as a prosecutor was a liability, when this year it has been one of her strengths. 

Larnell, an associate professor of political science, discussed the pertinence of crime as an issue in every community in America and how this has affected Harris’ campaign strategies. She noted how Harris has to operate within a conundrum where voters want crime to be prevented while some are critical of her record as a prosecutor and California Attorney General.

“I think it’s unfair to VP Harris and any other Black, or person of color, prosecutor that we aren’t okay with them doing their job, because we all want crime to be addressed,” Larnell said. “I would rather crime be addressed by someone who is a bit more progressive, who is a bit more conscious of how crime occurs and the factors affecting it.”

Finally Hamilton turned to the effect the war in Gaza is having on the election and asked the panelists what they would say to those who’ve made the decision to sit out the election due to U.S. policy towards Israel. 

“Kamala Harris has been unequivocal in her support of Israel’s war against Hamas, which has now resulted in the deaths of over 40,000 Palestinians,” Hamilton said. “In many ways, Harris’ position breaks from the Black feminist tradition, championing liberation for historically marginalized groups.”

Larnell said she can’t blame those who won’t vote for Harris due to her Gaza stance while Scott emphasized the importance of recognizing the complexity of this issue while seeking long-term peace in the region.