Local women celebrate Vice President-elect Harris at Women’s Suffrage Memorial in Knoxville

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The reality of having a woman as a vice president of the United States is sinking in for women all over the country.

“I am so proud to have Kamala coming up to be in the white house,” Marcia Brewer of Greeneville. “She is a wonderful woman and she will represent us well.”

It is especially important for women in Tennessee, a place that had a significant role in the women’s suffrage movement.

Today, the memorial honoring the women who came before us in Knoxville, has new meaning.

“It’s hard to express how I feel, but I did have tears in my eyes so it was an emotional moment,” said LeeAnn Rogers of Knoxville.

For some, this isn’t about politics. It’s been 100 years of leaps and bounds for women, this is about progress.

“This broke the ceiling,” Gloria Gonzalez said. “We can do anything and I’m just so happy about it. We need to stick together, work together, because next thing is president.”

As people gather and take pictures at the memorial, they feel like they won too.

“On a day like today that’s so historic, I’m so happy,” Gonzalez said. “Women finally did it. I just happened to see this statue right now and I said how fitting to my daughter because it’s fantastic.”