Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett on her prediction for Nov. 3, and the protests

It's 55 days until Election Day. The run-up to November is happening amid extreme partisanship, a global pandemic, and nationwide protests for police reform and racial justice.

A perspective now on the election and the fight for justice from Valerie Jarrett. She served for eight years in the Obama administration, as a Senior Advisor to the President. She's the keynote speaker at the annual luncheon for the local YWCA on September 10.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

We started our conversation with her prediction for November 3.

Well, I think this election is going to turn on turnout. I predict Vice President Biden will win. I know one thing, though. He will work, together with Senator Harris, each and every day between now and the election, to earn the vote, earn the respect, earn the confidence and the trust of every single American. And if elected, he will be the president of all of America, not just those who elected him. I think that's what our country not only needs right now, but deserves.

If I can turn to the activism and the protests that we are seeing across the country this year, they've been prompted by instances of police violence. How do you see the path forward to dismantling the root causes of systemic racism and injustice when our country is so divided?

First of all, I am very heartened by the fact that people of all races, of all ages, of all backgrounds, have been demonstrating, peacefully mostly, in all 50 states. And I'm old enough to remember the civil rights era. The activism was not nearly this widespread.

I think the vast majority of people in our country believe it's time to heal the racial wounds that began with the original sin of slavery. And if people couple their activism and peaceful demonstrations with voting, I think we will see a change in our country. But, it's going to be important that after the election, that people really take a hard look and say, what kind of America do we want to be?

It isn't going to be just up to Vice President Biden and Senator Harris, should they be successful. It's going to be up to every American to say we have a responsibility to heal these wounds, too. We have to look at what kind of an environment are we creating in our workplace, in our communities, in our society, in our faith-based institutions. Are we welcoming? Are we inclusive? Do we have a culture that is not full of microaggressions, and discriminatory behavior, or practices, or policies?

Do we realize that we will be a better, stronger country if we reckon with this tension that is not limited to the police department? We know that. We can't just say this is a problem over there somewhere. This is a problem in our society, and it's systemic, and it has to end. I do believe there is a willingness to reckon with it now.

You have been a mentor to many people. I'm wondering what you are telling young people now, during this time of upheaval, who may be wondering if change can be effected from inside structures of power, or if the most effective way now is pushing from the outside?

Our democracy will only be as strong as we the people demand that it be. And we should care enough to vote. In the last presidential election, 100 million eligible voters didn’t vote. That's unconscionable. Does my vote matter? Well, you know what, yes, your vote matters! And if the last nearly four years haven't demonstrated that, I can't imagine what would.

Which leads me to the question of why a woman has not been elected president in the long history of our country. That glass ceiling has been really solid. How do you see the outlook for women in positions of leadership?

We are way behind, but we are making progress. The reason why we are so far behind is sexism. That's it. It's not for lack of qualified people, for sure. There is a certain element of sexism still in our society, but Senator Harris is used to breaking those glass ceilings. In almost every position she's had, she's been the first. And what she said that touched my heart is that her mom would always say to her, ‘When you're the first, you have a responsibility to not be the last.’

Listen to the interview by clicking the play button above.