Gizelle Bryant is spreading positive vibes ahead of Election Day.
"I feel good. I feel better every day," The Real Housewives of Potomac star told E! News during an exclusive chat. "I went two days ago to vote and it was great. I got that same nervous feeling like I did the first time. I was just like, 'I cannot make a mistake!'"
"I am so happy with how many people are getting out to vote," the Bravo star added. "I mean, record numbers."
This Sunday (Nov. 1), Gizelle will be part of Bravo's Race in America: Our Vote Counts event, a 90-minute special hosted by Nightly Pop's Nina Parker which will focus on the power of the Black vote on both a local and national level. In honor of the special, Gizelle opened up to E! about what voting means to her, hope for the future of the nation and why the 2020 U.S. presidential election is "the most important" of her lifetime.
Read on for our exclusive Q&A.
E! News: In Race in American: Our Vote Counts, you open up about the voter suppression your father faced decades ago (he was asked to read and explain the entire Preamble to the Constitution on order to register). What does voting mean to you as a Black woman given the obstacles your ancestors had to face?
Gizelle Bryant: Based off of their experiences and based off of what they had to go through—clearly I didn't have to go through what my dad had to go through in order to register to vote—but because of it it means so much more to me. It's my right, it's what my forefathers had to fight for to get, but it's also just an honor. I'm an American and I want to feel like an American and the most American way to feel like that is to be able to vote in this country. So it means everything.
E! News: What would you say to someone who thinks their vote doesn't matter?
GB: I would definitely let them know that it does. One vote is all that matters. If we all felt like that then there would be no changes. To take that attitude of, 'Oh my gosh, one vote doesn't matter,' It's selfish. I feel like you're not doing your part and you're sitting on the couch and you're allowing others to speak for you. And unless you get into the ballgame you have no right to complain about anything.
E! News: Would you consider the 2020 election the most important of your lifetime?
GB: This one is the most important, the most important in my lifetime. It's the most important because we have to change this administration, there's just no question. If we don't, I will feel personally just defeated. I will be scared for the future. I don't want to feel that way. I don't want to feel that way for my children. Forget black and white issues, let's just deal with healthcare, coronavirus, everybody's dying. Those things are imminent and that's what makes it the most important. Now having said that, when President Barack Obama won, that was monumental. It said to everybody that finally, potentially, we're all being treated equally. That's what it said to me at the time. Now so many things have changed for the worse since then, but at that time it said, "Wow! Finally we can all achieve whatever our dreams are."
E! News: Do you think Kamala Harris becoming the first Black female Vice President would send a similar message?
GB: Absolutely! Obama was like OK, we're all treated equally, black and white. But what Kamala represents to me is me being able to look at my daughters and have them know that they're as equal as everyone else and they now have a seat at the table. And they can not only have a seat at the table, but can make changes, can have their voices heard, can express themselves and know that their education and what they want and desire is going to be really a factor.
E! News: Why are you voting for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and what are you looking forward to if they win the presidential election?
GB: I'm looking forward to some peace and some sense of the president being able to care about all Americans, because that's what we are, we're all Americans. I don't want anyone there who's running the country only thinking about himself and a business deal, because that's how I've felt since day one from him. I want someone who really cares about Americans and cares about our entire lives: our health, our housing, our education. All aspects of life and I think that's what he represents. And then, if there is a Black woman in the White House, what?! Like I am going to be so excited. And you know she's my sorority sister, we're in the same organization. And so the colors for the sorority is pink and green, so I'm going to be wearing pink and green for a very long time.
Don't miss Race in America: Our Vote Counts this Sunday, Nov. 1 at 10 p.m. on Bravo right after a brand new episode of The Real Housewives of Potomac.
Binge past seasons of RHOP on Peacock any time.
(E!, Bravo and Peacock are all part of the NBCUniversal family)