His journey to the presidency

The build up to this election has been hectic, to say the least. Our country is having issues on every front: medical, environmental, social. And to many, choosing the right president seemed like the best way to respond to these issues. To many, it seemed like life or death. And now the results of this high-strung election are in: Joe Biden has become the 46th President of the U.S, with Kamala Harris by his side. For those who feel disappointed in this outcome, Biden has called for a truce, a chance to prove that he is for America, not for a particular side.

And it is because of these sentiments that he has won the presidency. Biden is victorious because of his broad, racially diverse coalition of voters showing up in droves in order to bring about change. In the beginning, it seemed as if Trump was taking the key states. But when the mail in ballots started coming in, everything started leaning blue. Trump’s coalition includes the rural vote, religious conservatives and white voters without college degrees; whereas Biden’s coalition included the majority of college graduates, women, the urban and suburban vote, middle of the road voters and minorities all coming together in opposition to President Trump. 

The racial dichotomy of the two coalitions is testament to the outcome of this election. 40% of the American people identify as minorities, whereas only 14% of Trump supporters do. But Biden’s coalition mirrors America, with 37% of his voting coming from minorities. He won because he provided the hope of unity, the capacity for empathy and honesty and the willingness to take a stand against extremism and racism in America.

His plans in office

Addressing racism is one of the pillars of Biden’s campaign. He plans to do so through making affordable housing more accessible to black and minority communities, reducing the prison population with a focus on “redemption and rehabilitation”, and instituting police reform through demilitarization of the police. This is in addition to his plans of ending the travel ban on the seven muslim countries that Trump put in place and giving immigrant status to undocumented migrant children- so basically, a whole lot. Through the Biden administration, the president-elect plans to reverse America’s withdrawal from the WHO and bring us together to gain control of the covid-19 cases with a stronger federal approach. His plan to reboot the economy in light of the virus include investing in infrastructure, boosting manufacturing, making childcare more affordable and reducing the wealth gap between different ethnic groups. He has also decided to take a stand against climate change by reentering the UN-led Paris Agreement, an international effort to reduce the human effects on the environment. 

His commitment to combating climate change with the rest of the world is part of his first steps to rebuild trust with the US’ closest allies. The Trump administration’s “America first” ideology capsized ties with traditional allies of the US. But with a new administration and a renewed commitment to the WHO and the Paris Agreement, America is poised to grow its relationship with its greatest allies once more. Many countries have chimed in to congratulate the president-elect due to this prospect.

A history of firsts

Another victory that has come from this administration is one for women and people of color. Kamala Harris was born to a Jamaican father and an Indian mother who met during the civil rights movement in 1964. She is now the 46th vice president of the US, the first woman and the first person of color to hold this office. And this is not the first time she has participated in breaking down the doors that kept people just like her out. She was the first woman and person of color to hold the office of District Attorney of San Francisco. Then she moved on to become the first woman and person of color to hold office as Attorney General of California. And if that’s not enough, she was the second black woman and the first south asian woman to be elected to the US senate. This is America stepping in the right direction, stepping towards better representation in the government of all American people. This will inspire all people of our generation to rise into positions that we have been left out of for so long. This is our time.

In his victory speech, Joe Biden acknowledged the disappointment the right feels due to this outcome, but informed the american people that he will govern as a democrat but also as an American. In his speech, he called for unity, for America to come together as a country in these dark times. He did not call for us to stand behind party lines, looking over and condemning the otherside. He called for the partisan wall to be broken and for America to prevail, as a whole, once again.