Kamala Harris Poised to Make History Again as Democratic Nominee

On January 20, 2021, Kamala Harris made history when she was sworn in as Vice President of the United States, marking a monumental moment as the first woman to hold the second-highest office in the country.

In addition to being the first female vice president, Harris also became the first Black and first South Asian American VP. With the recent announcement on July 21, 2024, from Democratic nominee Joe Biden, Harris is now once again in a position to break new ground – this time as the first Black and Asian American woman to head a major party ticket.

Expressing her gratitude for Biden’s endorsement, Harris stated that she was «honored» and committed to «earn and win» the nomination. If victorious in the upcoming election this November, Harris would also make history as the first Black and Asian American woman to ascend to the presidency.

A lifelong trailblazer, the 59-year-old Harris has an impressive background filled with groundbreaking achievements. In 2004, she became the first Black female district attorney in San Francisco, and in 2010, she followed this by being elected as the first Black woman attorney general in California.

Throughout her journey, Harris has consistently embraced her rich cultural heritage and racial identity. In her 2019 autobiography, “The Truths We Hold: An American Journey,” she noted, “My mother, grandparents, aunts and uncle instilled us with pride in our South Asian roots.” Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, made it a point to give her daughters Sanskrit names to honor their heritage.

In her autobiography, Harris remarked, “All of my mother’s words of affection or frustration came out in her mother tongue — which seems fitting to me, since the purity of those emotions is what I associate with my mother most of all.”

She vividly recalled how her mother understood the complexities of raising two Black daughters in America, stating, “My mother knew that her adopted homeland would see Maya and me as Black girls, and she was determined to make sure we would grow into confident, proud Black women.”

During a visit to the popular show “The Breakfast Club” in 2019, co-host Charlamagne tha God engaged Harris in a conversation about her racial identity. Despite claims that she was “not African American” due to her immigrant parents, Harris confidently responded, emphasizing her roots: “I’m Black, and I’m proud of being Black. I was born Black. I will die Black, and I’m not going to make excuses for anybody because they don’t understand.”

Reflecting on her upbringing, she recalled attending both a Black Baptist Church and a Hindu temple, feeling a sense of belonging in those spiritual spaces. However, the acceptance she felt there was not mirrored in her neighborhood, where she faced exclusion: “The neighbors’ kids were not allowed to play with us, because we were Black,” she explained of her childhood in Palo Alto.

Harris attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., during the 1980s, a time when she found great solace and connection in attending a historically Black institution. In a 2019 interview, she praised her experience at Howard, saying, “When you’re at an HBCU, … it just becomes about you understanding that there is a whole world of people who are like you.”

After her parents divorced when she was only 7 years old, Harris moved in with her mother and found inspiration in her mother’s resilience and determination. “She was a brown woman. She was a woman with a heavy accent. She was a woman who, many times, people would overlook her, or not take her seriously,” Harris recounted, highlighting her mother’s ability to surpass stereotypes and societal expectations.

Harris noted that her mother’s courage in the face of challenges served as a blueprint for her own ambitions. She stated that because her mother never sought permission to pursue her dreams, she could aspire to one day stand as a serious contender for the presidency of the United States.

As the Democratic nomination approaches, all eyes will be on Kamala Harris, who stands on the cusp of making history yet again, demonstrating the power of perseverance and representation in American politics.