Election Day 2017 was a major milestone for many states across the country; however, after the election of our 45th president one year ago, hope had seemed to be lost within many communities.
America is known as the ‘melting pot’ of many cultures, where everyone becomes one. It is also the place where many of our ancestors came to for a fresh new start and with hopes of living the American Dream.
The election of our 44th president, Barack Obama, who was the first ever African-American to take office showed Americans that progress was finally being made.
President Donald Trump and his administrations’ actions and beliefs made many believe that this progress was going backward. A country that was finally coming together started becoming more divided.
However, Trump’s actions did not stop those from moving forward altogether.
Regardless of Trump’s reform against certain LGBTQ+ rights as well as immigrants and other races, people did not give up. Instead, they decided to strive for greatness and revamp the American Dream.
Nov. 7 was marked with many ‘firsts’ and gave many people hope for the future of America. For Democrats across the nation, it was a very joyous day. After losing the electoral year the Democrats were determined.
New Jersey and Virginia both elected new governors, Phil Murphy and Ralph Northam, respectively. Among the newly elected governors, both of the states took a major step.
Justin Fairfax is the first African-American Lieutenant Governor to be elected for Virginia and Sheila Oliver is the first African-American female to be elected Lieutenant Governor in the New Jersey state history.
For the LGBTQ+ community, a huge stride was taken. The first ever openly transgender candidate, Danica Roem, won a seat in Virginia for House of Delegates in American history. Roem defeated a social conservative who held this position for 26 years.
In Minneapolis, Andrea Jenkins became the first African-American transgender woman to win a council seat in a major city.
Cultural and religious backgrounds did not stop those winning their election. The first ever Sikh mayor, Ravi Bhalla was elected in Hoboken, N.J.
This years election day has a lot to say about our country and the future of America.
The amount of hate that has been spread and tragedies that have struck our country within the past year now have the opportunity be overcome with love and hope.
Students in the Cabrini University community learn from day one that they are accepted as individuals. It is embedded in the schools’ mission statement: “Cabrini welcomes learners of all faiths, cultures and backgrounds and prepares them to become engaged citizens of the world.”
As citizens of the world, we should always carry that statement around with us and be accepting to others. With this, we have the power to prove that labels cannot hold us back and we can continue making strides towards a better future of our country.
