Shattering the glass ceiling: What Harris’ nomination means to women of color in Spokane

Though the race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is one filled with tension and polarization on every level, for the first time in U.S. history, women of color are seeing a presidential nominee of a major party who looks like them.

The Spokesman-Review asked six women of color in Spokane about what the nomination of Harris means to them.

Roberta Greene, Spokane city councilwoman (1996-2004)

Roberta Greene, 80, still remembers the social norms of growing up Black in the South: Black people were forced to sit at the back of the bus, use separate restrooms and enter medical facilities from the back door. She remembers protesting for equality in her college years and being afraid that her father would find out and lose his courthouse job.

“You knew what you could and could not do,” she said about the time.

Moving to Spokane in 1986, Greene said that the culture shock was “absolutely amazing,” and that “we were happy when we even saw Black people in downtown Spokane.” Having been an active member in a number of committees over time and serving on Spokane’s City Council for eight years, Greene never thought that she would see Harris, a biracial woman, as the presidential nominee of one of the two major political parties.

“We need healing in this country of ours, and I know that she can be a part of the healing,” Greene said. “She will be there to represent all of us and she will particularly make women of color just so, so proud.”

Having a woman of color at the head of a ticket will give the youth a boost too, Greene said.

“And the little girls – oh my gosh, the little girls. Can you imagine being a young child of color and you seeing somebody who looks like you? And you know, ‘she’s Black, just like me?’ ” Greene said.

Greene said that she had heard someone else say that Harris has the opportunity to break the “glass ceiling that all women encounter.”

“Not just women of color, but all women encounter the glass ceiling,” Greene said. “And she has an opportunity to put a good, good hand through and break that barrier for all women. And that’s what I’m looking for as well.”

Greene views the presidential race as one of division versus unity. She said that if a division of the population is allowed, Harris will not win.

“When Donald Trump won, my granddaughter … she called me crying in fear because she didn’t know what this man was going to do to us in particular,” Greene said. “So the fear that he brought that she had to call me in tears – I want her to call me in tears because Kamala wins. I want a different kind of tears from her.”

Nikki Otero Lockwood – Spokane Public Schools Board of Directors president

Nikki Otero Lockwood, 56, was elected to the Spokane School Board in 2019, but coming from a Mexican American family, she struggled to see herself in the position.

“And then, I talked to a Latino board member from the center of the state,” Lockwood said. “Just talking to him and hearing his story of how he got involved in school board – it was like the last puzzle piece for me. You know, that last thing I needed was just to talk to somebody who has similar background in that one way.”

Lockwood said that seeing a multiracial woman like Harris in such a visible position is something that benefits all genders and backgrounds.

“It’s just important for everybody to see that because then we respect each other more,” Lockwood said. “She expands that respect and dignity that we all deserve.”

She said that when Harris announced her run she began to feel hopeful and excited, but in the case that Harris doesn’t win the race, Lockwood said Harris already has done a lot for representation.

“She’s representing a really strong woman who is working towards being the top leader,” Lockwood said. “And she’s already the vice president, so she’s already showing us something that we have never seen before.”

Jaime Stacy – executive director of Strong Women Achieving Greatness, NAACP Spokane Chapter vice president

Jaime Stacy, 47, is the founder and executive director of SWAG, or Strong Women Achieving Greatness. The organization exists to “equip and empower and mentor young women in the community,” She said. Stacy also serves as the vice president for the Spokane NAACP and was the first Black woman to run for the Mead School Board.

She said that with Harris reaching for the highest seat in U.S. government, it is a good time to have conversations with the girls she works with about their aspirations and goals.

“We realize that our goals – there’s really no ceiling for that as we’re seeing someone like Kamala Harris take the stage and say, ‘Look where I am,’ ” Stacy said. “We talk about the sky being the limit. She has pushed that further. She has reached beyond the sky. These young women are not seeing that the sky is the limit, they are seeing that there is no limit.”

Goals transcend political lines, Stacy said.

“I thought I was fortunate to see Barak Obama. I really thought that was going to be the pinnacle of what I would see in my lifetime,” Stacy said. “However, seeing Kamala come to this point is so inspiring, and it brings us collectively together as humans – we get to say, ‘you know what? We are capable of so much and, as women, we are capable of so much.’ ”

Rachae Thomas – Spokane actor and singer

Rachae Thomas, 40, moved to Spokane in 2019 with her family. She is a professional actor and singer, performing in films, musical theater, and “anything that tells a story.” Being Black and Italian, Thomas experienced a shift in expectations for people of color when she previously acted in Los Angeles.

“There was some stereotypes, you know, it was like you had to look a particular way for them to see you as the Black actor, or the whatever actor,” Thomas said. “Halfway through the journey there, we had these incredible things happen, like the Me Too movement and inclusive shift where – I don’t know what it was, but it seemed like authenticity was the key.”

Thomas described this shift as “riveting.” She said that many limitations placed on people of color disappeared during this time. She compares Harris’ acceptance to this experience.

“There’s no more glass ceilings, or no more limited conscious thoughts about someone’s, just, identity and what they’re able to do,” Thomas said. “I do think that there’s this kind of enlightenment that’s happening for us as human beings.”

Z’hanie Weaver – senior at Liberty High School in Spangle

Z’hanie Weaver, 17, likes to read, write and bake. Particularly, she has a fondness for creating intricate sweets such as stuffed cookies. Weaver identifies herself as an African American and is new to following along in the political sphere. Though she appreciates the historical significance of Harris being the Democratic presidential nominee, she says that she also feels somewhat neutral on the topic.

“This is big, and it’s been conveyed to me by other people – family – and I come to the realization that this is much bigger than I may think it could be,” said Weaver, who was one of 10 high school journalism interns in The Spokesman-Review newsroom this summer. “Because it does seem a little normal, to have a Black woman as a nominee.”

Despite the normalcy of a woman of color holding such a high position of power to Weaver, she said that Harris’ must be stronger than the average person to shoulder the hate and negative opinions she must encounter. Weaver said that Harris’ resilience is something that people can learn from.

“Even if she doesn’t win or doesn’t get the votes,” Weaver said. “I feel like just having the vision of her standing there for what she believes in – and for a group that she is also fighting for – is much more powerful than if she obtains office.”

Betsy Wilkerson – Spokane City Council president

Born to two ministers, Betsy Wilkerson, 68, said “all I know is public service.” Joining the Spokane City Council in 2020, Wilkerson is the first woman of color to be elected president of the council.

“I absolutely feel the weight of expectations. That’s from women who want me to show up. That’s from my community of color, who want me to show up. That’s from dominant culture, who wants me to show up,” Wilkerson said. “So being able – which is challenging, I will not lie – to navigate those spaces and represent to the best of my ability equally … people are never happy. It’s never enough.”

The difficulty that she has faced in executing her own duties as the council president have opened her eyes to the tumultuous journey that Harris must have had to get to her position, Wilkerson said.

“Mine was from my little hometown locally, but to go from local to the state level to the national level,” Wilkerson said. “I can’t even imagine the sacrifices that have been made for her to get where she’s at.”

Harris’ position holds significance in “so many ways across the board,” Wilkerson said.

“We’re one of the few countries that has never had a woman in leadership as being one of the most progressive countries in the world, but again, just being up there and just her demeanor,” Wilkerson said. “For her to show up and to hold her own and to be talked about and not take the bait. I mean, those are just examples for all of us.”

Wilkerson related Harris’ demeanor to something her mother told her, which she believes to be true for many women.

“We have to be able to encourage ourselves, and you cannot look for that from others,” Wilkerson quoted her mother as saying. “That actually has to come from within.”