As Vice President Harris draws closer to solidifying her spot atop the Democratic presidential ticket, opponents have begun their attack, led by former president and Republican nominee Donald Trump. 

Kimberlé Crenshaw, an expert on civil rights and constitutional law at UCLA, says while Harris’ candidacy is unprecedented and full of possibility, it will continue to generate backlash. Crenshaw is the executive director of the African-American Policy Forum and co-founder of Critical Race Theory. In a recent interview with Zeteo, she said:

“Harris will become the perfect avatar for all that aggrieves those who fear the browning of America more than they fear the collapse of democracy and the rise of fascism. The perceived loss of status among white voters and male voters has long been a factor in American politics that the right has weaponized, and the left has avoided and sometimes even enabled. And it is perhaps the most under-addressed dynamic in the media’s game-like coverage of American politics.”

Democrats and others concerned about our democracy, Crenshaw says, may have been silenced by the “war against woke,” and are therefore unprepared to meet the threat head-on:

“The so-called war against woke is like a loaded gun that has been left lying on the table, ready to be fired against Harris and anyone who strikes the MAGA juggernaut as out of place and out of time. It is our job to pick up this weapon and disarm it.”

Crenshaw says that even though Harris is a woman of color, advocates will still need to push Harris to make progress on issues that disproportionately impact Black Americans:

“As with President Obama, activists and advocates will have to remain vigilant and push President Harris to make progress on those issues like the widespread police violence against Black Americans, Black maternal healthcare, the much-needed reform of our justice system, and the fight for truly equitable public education which acknowledges our racial past. This is vital because we know that the Democratic Party so often sacrifices issues of racial justice in favor of others that “poll better” with white voters.”