Welcome to #BlackFutureMonth, Equality North Carolina's month-long celebration of Blackness and Black Americans who are collectively transforming the future of American life.

Last week we featured the incomparable Stacey Abrams, who has dedicated her life and career to battling voter suppression and the systems that keep Black Americans and other marginalized groups from having their voices heard at the ballot box. Today we turn our focus to Vice President Kamala Harris, who is making history and breaking glass ceilings every single day while serving in the White House.

When Vice President Harris took the Oath of Office on Jan. 20, she not only became the first woman to hold the office but the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent. But before becoming one of the most powerful women in the world, Harris has been pushing the boundaries of representation for women of color throughout her entire career -- both as the first Black woman to serve as the district attorney of San Francisco and later as the first woman, Black person or South Asian American to serve as California's attorney general.

While she brings with her a complicated record as a prosecutor, the importance of Harris' ascension in the political arena cannot be overstated. For the first time, young, BIPOC women around the country see themselves reflected in the halls of power through a voice that supports issues like economic and educational investment in communities of color and criminal justice reform. Our communities finally have a seat at the table.

At Equality NC, we're fighting to support women of color in their bids for office every single election cycle. We believe that North Carolinians should be represented by a diverse body of elected officials who truly represent the fabric of our state.

Ensuring that women of color like Vice President Harris are able to stake a claim within the electoral process is at the core of Equality NC's mission, and crucial to the livelihood of our communities in the years ahead.

From all of us at Equality NC, Happy #BlackFutureMonth. We look forward to building a more equitable, compassionate future alongside you in the years ahead.

Want to see who we honored in previous iterations of Black History Month? Head here.