Mary Williams

Because Trump and his supporters are formidable and dangerous

Like Kamala Harris, I grew up in Oakland, California, in the 1970s. An innocent time when kids dropped from trees like overripe fruit, tossed aside their toys, and abandoned their favorite TV shows whenever the tinny tunes of the ice cream truck pricked their ears. I also eagerly awaited the arrival of the ice cream truck, but my true allegiance was to the bookmobile.

I was in a bookmobile in 1977 when I first laid hands on a copy of The Hobbit and began accompanying Bilbo on his many adventures in middle-earth.

Just as the Rangers of the North protected Bilbo and the Shire, the Black Panthers fought to protect me and my community from violence and worked to dismantle systemic racism. They created programs and safe spaces for children in a city ravaged by poverty, the crack epidemic, and police brutality. Because of their courage and protection, I spent my youth in relative peace.

Years later, I never imagined that casting a vote could neutralize the biggest threat our nation would ever face: the potential downfall of our Democracy.

After The Hobbit, I read The Lord of The Rings. Kind, old Bilbo was replaced by the younger, more energetic Frodo. He sees the harmony of middle-earth is being threatened by Saruman, a corrupt, power-hungry loser.

What does this have to do with Kamala Harris? She is our Frodo. An unlikely hero in our darkest hour. A biracial woman of color within reach of the US presidency. The thought of someone like Kamala so close to the presidency was unimaginable in my youth. Unimaginable a month ago. She is our democracy’s lifeline and needs our vote.

We can’t underestimate Trump and his supporters. They are formidable and dangerous. If they win, our democracy will be weakened at best and destroyed at worst. Kamala will wrestle our democracy from the jaws of the MAGA weirdos.

“Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why.” 

—Samwise Gamgee

Mary Williams lives in central Mexico. She has worked as a park ranger, hiked the Appalachian Trail, and worked on a research base in Antarctica. She was born in Oakland, California, into a family of Black Panthers and was later adopted by Jane Fonda. She is a trustee of the Fonda Family Foundation and the author of a children’s book, Brothers in Hope, and a memoir, The Lost Daughter.