Some Republicans appear to have decided that Kamala Harris is only 3/5ths of a person and therefore cannot run for president.

They made “big news” last week, though, when they charged that Kamala Harris is not a “natural born citizen” and therefore not eligible to run for or to hold the office of President of the United States.

We may scorn Republicans arguing Black people can never be true citizens, but militia-style white supremacist Christian nationalist right-wingers take this sort of thing very seriously. This was how Trump first injected his racist poison into the presidential race between John McCain and Barack Obama, and that hate has only grown since then.

Which brings me to the concept of the “glass ceiling” that has been an unremitting barrier to gender equality in the workplace, not to mention politics. The glass ceiling refers to “invisible” barriers that prevent women and other marginalized groups from advancing to higher-level positions in their careers, despite their qualifications.

The issue gained official recognition in 1991 when the U.S. Congress established the Glass Ceiling Commission as part of the Civil Rights Act.

A 2023 study suggests that the lack of early promotions, rather than barriers at the very top, is the primary factor limiting women’s advancement. This “broken rung” prevents women from gaining the experience and visibility needed to reach higher positions. Kamala Harris has climbed a sturdy ladder up to candidate for president of the United States.

Prevailing notions of leadership are often associated with stereotypical masculine traits. Assertiveness and competitiveness are valued over collaboration and empathy and women leaders face a “double bind” — viewed as either too “soft” or too “aggressive.” History refutes that notion. The number of aggressive and competitive women CEOs in the Fortune 500 has reached a significant milestone:

■In 2023, 10.4% of Fortune 500 companies were led by women CEOs, marking the first time this figure exceeded 10%.

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■52 companies out of 500 had female CEOs, an 18% increase from the previous year.

However, challenges remain: women of color are still underrepresented in top executive roles. So, while some progress has been made, the glass ceiling remains a formidable roadblock to gender equality in America.

On Nov. 5, we the people, have an opportunity to catch up with the rest of the world by finally electing our first woman president.

Kamela Harris would be following in the footsteps of many other international women leaders, such as the following list of widely recognized women leaders from different countries:

Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka, who became the world’s first female prime minister in 1960. She was followed by Indira Gandhi of India in 1966, who served as prime minister from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 until her assassination in 1984. Golda Meir became Israel’s first female prime minister in 1969, serving until 1974. She was notably called “the only man” in the cabinet by Israel’s founder David Ben-Gurion.

Margaret Thatcher became the United Kingdom’s first female prime minister in 1979, serving until 1990. She was known as the “Iron Lady” for her uncompromising leadership style. Angela Merkel served as Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021, becoming one of the longest-serving and most influential female leaders in modern history.

Isabel Perón became Argentina’s first female president in 1974. Violeta Barrios Torres de Chamorro was elected as Nicaragua’s first female president in 1990.

Benazir Bhutto became Pakistan’s first female prime minister in 1988. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was elected as Liberia’s president in 2006, becoming Africa’s first elected female head of state.

VigdísFinnbogadóttir of Iceland became the world’s first woman to be democratically elected as head of state in a national election in 1980. It’s worth noting that while over 70 countries have had a female head of state or government at some point, many served for short periods or in interim roles. The list above focuses on women who broke through the glass ceiling being elected directly by the people and/or having served for substantial periods.

The phrase “glass ceiling” connects me with another oft-used quote “through a glass darkly.” It originated in the Bible, specifically 1 Corinthians 13:12. In this verse, the apostle Paul uses the metaphor to describe the imperfect way humans perceive spiritual truths in the present, compared to the clearer understanding they will have in the future.

We will be able to see the light of democracy again by electing Kamala Harris as our first woman president and making America great again.

John Bos authored his first “Connecting the Dots” column four days before his 77th birthday in 2013. He will keep looking for dots to connect every other Saturday in the Recorder until he runs out of dots or can no longer find the connections. He is also a regular columnist for Green Energy Times. Questions and comments are more than welcome at john01370@gmail.com.