Article by:
Naiomi Pitre
During the recent racial protests in Las Vegas, Belinda T. Harris worked as a trained Legal Observer (her presence intended to support the public’s right to express their First Amendment rights while recording police actions and discouraging violence). She was not actively involved in the protests and was clearly identified as not being a protestor by wearing a bright red “Legal Observer” t-shirt. While standing next to a fellow attorney and legal observer on the sidewalk, she was detained by the police. If she was under the impression that her current career as an attorney in the Clark County Public Defender’s Office afforded her any privilege or unspoken respect or consideration, she was sadly mistaken.
“I was recently detained, perp-walked, searched, put on the ground (since some people take issue with the term ‘thrown’), and treated like property,” Belinda recalls, painfully. “It made me feel like I definitely have to win my election, because for every one Belinda T. Harris, there are several people in North Las Vegas who do not have the visibility that I have who are being subjected to this treatment. It is time for some really bold, tough, and honest conversations to transform old-fashioned thinking, and by becoming an elected official, I will have more opportunities to have those conversations.”
Harris pleads with the community to get out and vote this November. She is running for Justice of the Peace in North Las Vegas District Court, Department 3. In a time when many are feeling discouraged by the normalized trauma of systemic racism within the justice system, Candidate Harris reminds everyone to know that everything lies in perception. She challenges people to stay informed and dare to have the out-of-the-box discussions with people who do not look, think, or act like them.
People have been thoroughly discussing the subject of ‘cultural competency’ and how it affects the world that we live in. Without being willing to see things from a different perspective, it is impossible to address these underlying issues that can be waved away and dismissed by those who refuse to acknowledge them.
“I can try to lead by example, but I need help. I cannot do this by myself. I will not stop striving to give people hope. It is imperative that everyone gets out and makes informed decisions about their vote. Personally, and professionally, minority judges bring a much needed perspective to the bench. Historically, people like Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, were the ones implementing change from that place of power,” Belinda explains.
“Diversity is necessary to ensure accurate representation and service to our community. Our future depends on you getting out to vote. Remember, hope dies last!”
Belinda T. Harris is the change that the community needs to see the changes that we want. Her campaign slogan, “#BTH Bold, Tough, and Honest”, correlates with the initials of her name. She plans on remaining bold enough to do what is right, tough enough to hold up justice at all times, and honest enough to not back down from the truth. Harris has been a career Public Defender, protecting, helping, and serving the less privileged of us all. She is always eager to serve the very community in which she was raised, and that helped mold her into the person that she is today.
“I want people to remember that the power of the people will always be more than the people in power. Everyone’s vote is equal. No one vote or voter has more power than the next vote or voter,” Belinda emphasizes.
To learn more about Belinda T. Harris, Esq. share, like, and follow her campaign on Facebook and Instagram, and please visit www.belinda4judge.com.