Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
November 2, 2021
“What you’re looking at is the American dream.” Thus began the victory speech by newly elected Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears, peppered by cheers, applause, and a chorus of “Win-some, Win-some,” before a patient and packed house in Chantilly where the GOP held their election night headquarters.
It was shortly before 1 AM, by which time Glenn Youngkin, also a Republican, had been declared the winner in governor’s race, that Sears, a United States Marine veteran, took to the stage, flanked by her husband Terence, also a Marine, and two adult daughters, Katia and Janel.
Being elected Lt. Gov., Sears becomes the first Black female to win statewide office in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In fact, in 2001, Sears became the first, and still only, Black Republican woman elected to the House of Delegates in Virginia, winning in an upset over a 20-year Democrat incumbent.
Along her path, the 57-year-old native of Kingston, Jamaica ran a homeless shelter and served as Vice President of the Virginia State Board of Education. Education was a vital plank of Sears’ campaign, although it was Youngkin who garnered the most attention during the campaign as the education candidate. (This became especially true following the September 28 gubernatorial debate where Youngkin’s Democrat opponent Terry McAuliffe said “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what to teach…. I’m not going to let parents come into schools and actually take books out and make their own decisions.”) Sears herself earned a B.A. at Old Dominion University in English with a minor in Economics and an M.A. at Regent University in Organizational Leadership.
Sears’ American dream actually began seven months prior to her own birth when her father immigrated to the United States on August 11, 1963 with a mere “$1.75 in his pocket.” Sears would later ask her father why he would come to the United States during a time as turbulent as the Civil Rights Movement. “Because America is where the jobs and opportunities are,” he told his daughter.
“When I joined the Marines I was still a Jamaican. But I was willing to die for this country,” Sears said proudly, adding she is “proud to be American and its future,” as the crowd began to chant “U-S-A, U-S-A!”
“There are those who want to divide us and we must not let that happen. They would like us to believe we are back in 1963 when my father came…. We can live where we want. We can eat where we want. We own the water fountains,” said Sears. “We have elected a Black president - twice. Here I am - living proof! In case you haven’t noticed, I am Black and I have been Black all my life,” continued Sears to increasing applause and cheers.
Sears was referencing McAuliffe and his team calling Youngkin and his team white supremacists. Apparently, McAuliffe was not paying attention as Virginia elected a Black Republican Lieutenant Governor, and a Cuban-American Republican Attorney General in Jason Miyares.
And in spite of these glaringly idiotic statements by the tonedeaf left, the likes of disgraced former ESPN sports reporter Jemele Hill doubled down on this failed theme. Mere minutes after Sears gave her impassioned and inspiring victory speech, Hill, herself who is Black, Tweeted “It’s not the messaging, folks, This country simply loves white supremacy.” Apparently Hill is not just tonedeaf, but colorblind as well. But take it from whence it comes - Hill was suspended in 2017 and ultimately fired in 2018. She repeatedly politicized her work for the sport network supporting the kneeling of athletes during the National Anthem, called for the boycott of advertisers, and for the coup de grace, called President Donald Trump a white supremacist on September 11, 2017 - statement ESPN disavowed.
Joy Reid of the far-left MSNBC, supposedly a reporter, opined “Education [using air quotes], which is code for white parents don’t like the idea of teaching about race…. You have to be willing to vocalize that these Republicans are dangerous.” This is about a Commonwealth that cast more than 1.66 million votes for Sears and nearly that many for Miyares in their victories.
Nicolle Wallace, also of MSNBC, piled on with a lie that has been running rampant in progressive circles, that “Critical Race Theory, which isn’t real, turned the suburbs 15 points.” Let’s put an end to this nonsense - CRT IS real, and there is written proof it is embedded in Virginia’s educational system. But not for long, should Youngkin fulfill his promise of banning the controversial and clearly racist ideology designed to conquer and divide school children into indelibly permanent classes of victim and victimizer.
“But that’s not what this is about,” said Sears. She listed a litany of goals for the upcoming administration such as citizens keeping more of their own money, safer neighborhoods, and “our children are going to get a good education. Education lifted my father out of poverty. Education lifted me out of poverty. Education will lift us all out of poverty,” declared the Lt. Gov.-Elect, adding that children will “not just survive, but thrive, with marketable skills and create generational wealth. We will have transparent government.”
“This is a historic night. I did not set out to make history. I just wanted to leave it better than I found it,” said Sears, paraphrasing a strongly held American Indian belief. “Help is on the way. The cavalry has arrived,” concluded Sears to more applause as she thanked her family, supporters, and team on such a momentous time in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN. He lived in Northern Virginia from 2001-2011 and was a one-time candidate for public office there.
