Vice President Harris embraces a young supporter. (Courtesy the White House)

There is a new administration in town. What does this mean for the League? It gives us a prime opportunity to advance our agenda! The new administration has stated a desire to address several issues that are near and dear to our hearts. We must not miss the opportunity to act on our positions on climate change, immigration reform, criminal justice, and economic equity—including housing, healthcare, fair districting, and free and fair elections.

Speaking of elections: Voter participation in the November elections—reported to be the most secure in history—was off the charts in terms of turnout. We know that voter registration and voter participation have been the League’s raison d’être since our founding in 1920, and it is no different today, one hundred years later. During the past year we commemorated the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, although many Black women (and all Blacks) remained disenfranchised thanks to laws and regulations that suppressed their vote.

Today—as we celebrate the rise of an expanding and increasingly diverse array of elected and appointed officials to higher levels of government—let us take a moment to celebrate the voters of America for a notable accomplishment: electing the first Black, South Asian, and woman to the office of vice president of the United States of America! This is an inspiring achievement of these elections, and so fitting that the electoral process is coming to fruition in January and February, when the nation celebrates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the history of its African American citizens. What a wonderful tribute to his memory.

And we know this is not the end of the struggle. It is one more step toward equality in word and in fact. So we continue our work to enrich our communities through diversity, equity, and inclusion. I was extremely glad to see that during our annual planning process the consensus was to keep our focus on repairing the damage caused by the racial, ethnic, and gender divisions that persist today. Thank you to all who participated. Sometimes our work can feel tedious and trying, especially when we are not rewarded with immediate results, but that is what makes our successes so much sweeter!

Until next month, stay safe and healthy!

—Martha Y. Zavala