Tomi Adeyemi

Because she invigorates my pride in being American

I don’t have many childhood memories.

Instead, I have feelings.

Sensations. Songs. Emotions. Tethers that reached past my normal wiring and left an imprint on my brain, or dare I say, soul. When I close my eyes and think of this country, one of those imprints rings in my ear. I’m four years old with my hand over my heart, surrounded by classmates as we stare up at the American flag and sing:

And I’m proud to be an American,
Where at least I know I’m free

And I won’t forget the men who died,
Who gave that right to me.

Over the past eight years, I’ve wrestled with those words. I have wrestled with that pride. Like so many of the Americans I love, I have stood—infuriated and heartbroken—feeling like I was watching the country I took so much pride in burn before my very eyes.

It has not been easy, but in all that pain and sorrow, a realization broke through: I felt all those things because I am proud to be an American. I love my country, even when it feels like it doesn’t love me. And I love that despite everything we have faced, so many of us still believe that we can come together and build a society that empowers every citizen in our community to achieve their highest ideals.

In this upcoming election, I am proud to support Kamala Harris, because she invigorates that pride. I feel that she will fight to restore our reproductive rights. I feel that she will fight to empower and protect our students. And I feel that she is the candidate most equipped to guide America to live up to its most benevolent potential. I don’t know if today’s school children are still singing, “God Bless the USA.” But when they put their hands over their hearts and stare up at our beautiful flag, I pray they get to pledge their allegiance to an America and a commander in chief that they can take pride in. 

Tomi Adeyemi is the Hugo Award-winning and instant #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Legacy of Orïsha series.