Kamala Harris taking down Mike Pence was more than a meme. It was history in the making.

Flickr / Gage Skidmore

Kamala Harris spoke for every woman on Wednesday when she shut down the interrupting Pence with a simple, “I’m speaking.”

During the vice-presidential debate in Salt Lake City, vice president Mike Pence repeatedly spoke over and interrupted the Senator. A familiar experience to millions of women around the world.

Except Kamala Harris changed the ending

With composure, civility, and steely resolve, Harris held up her hand and told every man who has ever interrupted a woman: “Mr. vice-president, I’m speaking.”

 

She can handle Mike Pence.

Within minutes, “I’m speaking” was being printed on t-shirts, mugs, and other merch. The internet was turned upside down by memes. Most importantly, however, something changed in this moment. American women saw themselves in Senator Harris. Like them, she has suffered decades of “mansplaining,” not being listened to, and being talked over.

“I’m speaking,” is more than a quote-able meme. It is history. It marks the fork in the road, where women do not have to demur to men. Where being polite does not mean shutting up.

With two words and a fearless smile, Kamala Harris gave hope to women everywhere.

MeidasTouch score a home run with #I’mSpeaking

Cheerleader holding white pom pons

Pixabay

The MeidasTouch video “#IMSPEAKING” was easy to make. They simply captured every time that Senator Harris put the vice president back in his place for interrupting her. In just a few hours, the video was shared over six thousand times.

Everyone knows a Mike Pence

Hours before his RNC speech, Lincoln Project leaks a damning ad where Pence slams Trump: 'Adultery'

Flickr / Gage Skidmore

Every woman has known a Mike Pence. A patronizing boss. A boyfriend with selective hearing. Male coworkers, colleagues, or friends who feel their opinion warrants speaking over a woman.

#ImSpeaking touched a nerve

Descriptive photo: Women's march participants one is holding "Nasty Women Unite" sign

Flickr / Matt Zimmerman

“I didn’t know [Kamala Harris] was a kindergarten teacher!” joked one user. “She is such a mom, lol” said another. Teachers, businesswomen, stay-at-home moms — everyone saw themselves in Kamala Harris.

Pence is every man who ever disrespected a woman

Angry man yelling into the telephone

Unsplash / Icons8 Team

The vice-president did not win over any women after that debate performance…

Kamala Harris is every woman who needs a voice

Wikimedia

Kamala Harris grew up in a multiracial, multicultural environment. Her parents divorced when she was seven, and she was brought up by her single mother Shyamala Harris.

Shyamala Harris is Hindu and named her daughter after a Hindu goddess. As she explained to the LA Times in 2004:

“A culture that worships goddesses produces strong women.”

As a high-school student, Kamala Harris discovered one of her friends was being sexually abused by her father. Kamala and her mother brought the girl to live with them. This experience led the Democratic vice-presidential candidate to become a prosecutor. In 2009, she told the San Francisco Chronicle:

Some of the most voiceless in the community, the most vulnerable, the most powerless, are victims of crime, and I wanted to be a voice for them.

‘Mansplain the 21st Century to Mike Pence’

Vice President Mike Pence

Flickr / Gage Skidmore

For every woman who has ever been interrupted, talked over, and ignored. Share this video far and wide:

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