When President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race last month, I found myself frantically searching to identify the Democratic nominee who would take his place.

To others, Vice President Kamala Harris may have been the obvious choice, but I didn’t even consider Harris as an option. Black women so rarely get their flowers or are even considered for them. That’s why I’m filled with profound gratitude as I watch her boldly step into the spotlight as the presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party. Black women: we deserve our recognition. Her success would be a win for all of us.

I’ve often been pushed to the background in organizations and projects I’ve worked on — driving improvements while receiving little credit — due to the inherent discomfort of being the lone Black woman in a space. I constantly worry about being perceived as rude, arrogant or off-putting, which, often for my white peers, is eased if I shrink into the background. It’s not uncommon for me to be the most qualified in a room and treated as second-class to anyone else present.

I find myself advocating for everyone else with hope that one day it will be less lonely for me, and that Black women can hold leadership positions without caveats. Harris’ status as the presumptive nominee marks the beginning of a time where that just may be possible.

I have rarely seen someone who looked like me as a leader in movements in the United States. Harris’s nomination signals a change, a shift in the paradigm. Black women are no longer content with just being in the room; we are demanding to be the ones leading the conversations.

I often think of women who inspire me, like feminist Ida B. Wells. Despite crucial work to advance the women’s suffrage movement, like founding the National Association for Colored Women, Wells is rarely mentioned alongside commonly referenced feminists like Susan B. Anthony and Jane Addams. Without the efforts of Daisy Bates and Barbara Johns, there would be no progress in desegregating schools. Yet Black women like them are overlooked as key leaders and figures in these historical narratives. They are excluded from discussions in documentaries and history channels, added as one-paragraph mentions in textbooks.

Throughout my education, Black women activists were consistently described as “helpful allies” or “secondary members” of crucial movements. But Coretta Scott King was not just Martin Luther King Jr.’s wife; she was a leader in the civil rights movement, speaking out for women’s rights across the globe. These Black women, along with many more, were the very backbones of these movements. And as Harris enters the national spotlight, Black women in history and the present can no longer go ignored.

A country led by a Black woman will focus on healing and recovery from the overwhelming political atmosphere of hate speech that has engulfed our nation. Black women are often vital cornerstones in movements where oppression is multifaceted: Ida B. Wells saw the connections between racism and sexism and worked to dismantle both, and Stormé DeLarverie was the Black gender non-conforming lesbian who incited the Stonewall riots, connecting racism and homophobia in queer liberation. Harris has the opportunity to join these ranks as president and dismantle the complicated societal structures before her.

The popularized phrase “representation matters” is not just a cliché for the left to use when discussing the societal impact of racism and sexism. It is a call to action that quantifies the significance of not always being the “first.” When people see others like themselves lead innovation, creative expression and achievements in ways once thought impossible for their community, they, too, will begin to envision the steps they must take to take part — they see opportunities to make their mark on the world.

Harris as president offers our country an opportunity to back away from a political system that disenfranchises us all. Harris can lead us there.

This is a monumental time, and I hope other Black women take a moment to reflect on it. We are stepping into our collective national spotlight, and I can’t wait to see what our future holds.

Aaliyah Guzman is a senior majoring in political communication and minoring in sociology.