Kamala Harris’s campaign demonstrated the expectations that women of color face at work

Soon after Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential election loss, finger pointing was in full force. As Democrats grieved the defeat, theories as to why Donald Trump won abounded.

Was it the economy? To be sure, many Americans are fed up with the increased cost of living, from the rising costs of housing and education to gas and eggs. “It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them,” said Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders.

Was it her campaign strategy? Accusations have surfaced that Harris’s campaign didn’t spend enough time building relationships with local elected officials in key swing states like Pennsylvania; Harris didn’t sit for interviews with major outlets soon enough; she didn’t provide enough explanations about why she changed positions on policies such as clean car mandates, hydraulic fracturing, and offering citizenship to unauthorized immigrants who were brought to the U.S. when they were children.

Watching the headlines over the last week, I keep coming back to the same thought over and over again: Harris’s campaign and loss reminds me of the impossible standards that many women of color face in our workplaces. What happened to Harris on a national stage is what happens to so many women of color in our conference rooms, in Zoom meetings, and in those quiet moments where we are passed over for leadership roles. Often, we are asked to waive our magic wands and quickly fix something that’s broken—something that we didn’t break ourselves.

Harris was asked to perform against incredible odds. So as we look back on Harris’s campaign, here’s what so many women of color can relate to:

Expectations to perform agains the odds

Harris was expected to win the presidency in just a little over 100 days. No candidate in modern history has put together a presidential campaign with such a shortened timeline. While Trump had the benefit of campaigning for the last four years—and decades of name recognition—Harris had to pull together a campaign staff, create and share her platform, prepare for debates, and more.

While she inherited $95 million from Biden’s presidential campaign in June, she still had the daunting task of fundraising. While she did inherit Biden advisors and staff, she also brought in new people from her own team during this shortened timeline, creating confusion on who was in charge and reportedly made it difficult to make decisions swiftly.

It was clear to many of us that Harris faced the glass cliff, which has been well-documented and researched. As author Bari A. Williams wrote for Fast Company, the idea of the glass cliff is “that women, particularly Black women and other women of color, ascend to leadership positions during times of organizational crisis when the risk of failure or burnout is high.” With Biden suddenly stepping down in the middle of a hotly contested campaign against Trump, the Democratic party scrambled, and chose Harris as the new nominee. They put her front and center to perform and win this race for the party. But we cannot overlook the significant hurdles she faced.

Like many women of color, I have faced the glass cliff at work. I have been asked to lead more than one business in double digit decline, asked to rebuild and lead a team when everyone resigned, and asked to come in to turnaround a failing project in less than 30 days. Given my track record of cleaning up corporate messes, a friend once affectionately nicknamed me “the Swiffer Picker Upper.”

One time, after a string of tough assignments, I asked my then manager to be able to go and lead a business that was already growing and thriving. I pointed to other men I worked with who hadn’t worked on tough assignments, signaling that it could be their turn to take one on. “Mita, take it as a compliment that you are given all the tough assignments. It means the company really needs you.”

Women shouldn’t only be given the opportunity to be promoted or reach the top levels of their field, simply because a crisis has ensued or because the organization isn’t performing. The likelihood of succeeding can be so much lower, and when we don’t succeed, we are less likely to be considered for other opportunities, being branded as a “failure.”

Expectations to support to a struggling boss

Harris not only took over as the Democratic Presidential Nominee in an incredibly shortened timeline, but she was passed the baton suddenly by an unpopular incumbent. According to Gallup polling, President Joe Biden had approval ratings lower than any other president seeking another term. There were concerns about his age and visible decline, his “disastrous” debate performance, and his handling of inflation, to name just a few. Harris was expected to continue to support her boss through all of this.

Many have said that one of the pivotal moments of the Harris campaign was during her appearance on the talk show The View. When asked if she would change anything about the Biden administration, Harris responded, “There is not a thing that comes to mind.” While critics continue to say that this is the moment that led to her ultimately losing, Harris was in an impossible situation. She would never have been in this position in the first place if her boss had stepped out of the race much earlier, giving her the time and space she deserved to run a full campaign. What we also don’t know the answer to is this: Was Harris told behind closed doors to show unwavering support to Biden no matter what in public? And to play her part in the Democratic party and be grateful she was given this opportunity?

Many times when we receive a glass cliff assignment in the workplace, we are expected to show gratitude and be thankful for the opportunity. And to show loyalty to the leader before us who left the business and the team in utter ruins. When I once took over a business in double digit decline, I was warned not to ever mention how my former boss had been responsible for the demise of the business. He had gone onto another high profile assignment in the organization. If I blamed him for anything, or tried to separate myself from what he had owned, versus what I was then doing, I wouldn’t be seen as a team player. We weren’t supposed to hold him accountable or to tarnish his legacy. I had to just smile and pretend it didn’t happen.

Often, as women of color, we don’t have the luxury to separate ourselves from that mess in the workplace. The one we have inherited and now have to clean up. We have to continue to show loyalty and support to bosses who weren’t held accountable and protect their legacy. If we do speak up, we can be labeled as the detractor, the trouble maker, or the pot stirrer. Speaking up honestly about the mess we were handed can put our own career aspirations and legacy at risk.

Expectations to show constant grace and positivity—no matter what

And lastly, Harris was asked to show constant grace in the face of racist and sexist abuse.

Harris’ name was purposely and repeatedly mispronounced by Trump and others. She was called a DEI hire. Trump accused Harris of “turning Black.” Trump made fun of her laugh. He has also said about Harris that, “She’s slow, low IQ.” Harris was the target of a barrage of sexist and racist comments throughout the campaign, many of which she never acknowledged. She continued to do her best to make the most of the little over a 100 days she was given.

And Harris herself was attacked for criticizing her Trump back.

“Kamala Harris lost this election when she pivoted to focus almost exclusively on attacking Donald Trump,” said Republican pollster Frank Luntz. He added that “It was a colossal failure for her campaign to shine the spotlight on Trump more than on Harris’ own ideas.”

Many expected her to always show constant grace and positivity, to rise above it, and not to respond in kind, regardless of how she was attacked and treated. And in the moments Harris did attack Trump back, that suddenly became the very reason for why she lost.

The day after the election, Harris gave her concession speech at her alma mater, Howard University. Harris was criticized by some for not addressing the public earlier like Hillary Clinton had, the morning after the 2016 election. And again the double standard was clear: Trump did not give a concession speech the day after he lost the 2020 election.

Harris conceded with grace and dignity, ensuring a peaceful transition of power. And while she was surely emotional, she did not visibly cry. She offered hope, by saying, “To the young people who are watching, it is OK to feel sad and disappointed. But please know it’s going to be OK.”

I know so many women of color have felt this intense pressure: never let them see you sweat. Always be the epitome of grace and positivity, no matter what they say or do. We are judged by different standards; scrutinized for what we say or don’t say or how we say it; for what we wear; for how we laugh or cry; or god forbid how angry we might become. We are often expected to smile no matter what the cost, put others’ comfort ahead of our own, and be grateful for the opportunity to even be in the room.

But when Harris lost last week, I cried. I cried for the loss and what it meant for the future of our country and for all of our children. I cried for Harris and what she had to endure on a national stage for all to see. And finally, I cried for all the women of color who on a smaller stage, in conference rooms and at their desks, continue to quietly struggle with the expectations they face in their workplaces.