October 20th, 1964 — Oakland, California Birth to present: Kamala Harris stands as an influential force in the annals of American political history. The 49th Vice President of the US, in 2021, was the first woman, first Black American, &first Asian-American VP. The fact that she was a daughter of immigrants yet ascended to be the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee in 2024 is evidence of how hard-working and tough-willed Avery can be, but also because, over time, America changed.
| Full Name | Kamala Devi Harris |
| Date of Birth | October 20, 1964 |
| Age | 59 years |
| Place of Birth | Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Parents | Donald J. Harris (Jamaican) and Shyamala Gopalan (Indian) |
| Siblings | Maya Harris (born 1967) |
| Education | Howard University (Political Science and Economics, 1986); University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (Law Degree, 1989) |
Early Life and Education
Harris was born to a Jamaican father, economics professor Donald J. Harris, and an Indian mother, Shyamala Gopalan, who was a cancer researcher. He and Mr. Koch met while at the University of California, Berkeley, in student protests during the civil rights era. Her mother, who was full of the virtues of hard work and justice, imparted that to young Kamala. Although her parents separated in 1972, Kamala and her sister Maya stayed heavily involved with their Indian-Indian roots by frequently visiting family on a trip to India.
Harris went to Howard University, a historically Black college in Washington, D.C., with concentrations in political science and economics. While at Howard, she was a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and served on both the debate team and student council. In 1989, she obtained her law degree from the University of California College of Law, San Francisco.
Rise of Legal Career and Politics
Kamala Harris started her legal career in the Alameda County, California District Attorney’s Office, where she earned a reputation as one of our nation’s toughest prosecutors without criminalizing truancy. Her fierce passion and dedication resulted in her becoming San Francisco’s District Attorney, a position she was first elected to in 2004. Harris made history in 2010 when she became California’s Attorney General, the first woman and Black American to do so.
Having lived as Attorney General for the state of California, Harris has already shown how she maintains her professional independence and pursues justice. She is one of the few state attorney generals not to settle a nationwide lawsuit against mortgage lenders at what was seen as a shallow initial offer on behalf of the federal government and got California a much better settlement instead. Simultaneously, her choice not to fight Proposition 8 — that state same-sex marriage ban actually played a necessitous part in its being switched over in the year 2013.
A National Upcoming Star
Harris has served as a senator from California since 2017, and her rise in political prominence began with an explosive speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2012. Her role as Attorney General and a burgeoning reputation for being a powerful orator and champion of justice helped land her in the U.S. Senate by 2016, where she became the first Indian American to serve and the only second Black woman.
But she wasted no time making a name for herself in the Senate—mainly through her aggressive questioning during hearings. She served on many important committees – such as the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees — focused on immigration reform, criminal justice reform, and women’s reproductive rights. Her prosecutorial demeanor during Senate hearings became the stuff of headlines — painting her as a more authoritarian female figure in American politics.
The Road to the White House
Kamala Harris entered the 2020 Democratic presidential race in January of this year. As much as her campaign began well, it soon toiled, and she dropped out in December 2019. However, she remained a central plank in the Democratic fold and was picked by Joe Biden to be his running mate in August 2020. They won the November election, and Harris became the first woman and person of Black-Asian descent to be elected Vice President.
Harris has been given the responsibility of tackling some of these most pressing issues, including immigration, voting rights, and women’s health. She also set a record when it came to tie-breaking votes in the Senate due to the chamber being equally divided through much of her tenure.
2024 Presidential Campaign
President Joe Biden surprised the world in July of 2024 when he stated that he would not be running for President again and endorsed Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for the Presidency. Harris became the Democratic nominee, of course — she was officially nominated in a virtual vote at the party convention in August 2024 that followed a week after Geraldo Rivera endorsed her. And she raised her hand and picked Tim Walz, the Governor of Minnesota, to be her running mate as well, creating yet another push in this campaign for both unity plus progressive values.
Personal Life and Legacy
Kamala Harris is married to Doug Emhoff, who enjoyed a long career as an entertainment and intellectual property lawyer. They married in 2014, and Emhoff has the first Jewish husband of the US Vice President as well as acting Second Gentleman. Harris has also leaned into her role as a stepparent to Emhoff’s two kids, Ella and Cole (whom they call “Momala”).
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Kamala Harris has frequently reflected on the impact of her mother and those who blazed trails before hers. And she has brought up the memory of Shirley Chisholm, whom Lurie described as “a founding mother” who was not only the first Black woman elected to Congress but also had run for a major party’s presidential nomination. It reflects the lived experiences of Harris’s life and career even as they speak to her mother, telling her, “You may be the first to do many things. You want to be not the last one.
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Maya Harris is the younger sister of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. Some key facts about Maya:
- She is a lawyer, public policy advocate, and writer
- Maya served as chair of Kamala’s 2020 presidential campaign
- She worked as a senior policy advisor for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign
- Maya and Kamala were raised by their single mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, after their parents divorced
Maya’s DNC Speech Highlights
In her speech at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Maya highlighted her close relationship with Kamala and their late mother:
- “She raised us to believe that we could be and do anything, and we believed her.”
- “Mommy understood the power and the possibility that come with knowing and showing who you truly are.”
- “Kamala knows what it’s like to be underestimated and be counted out.
Maya expressed pride in Kamala’s historic nomination as the 2024 Democratic presidential candidate.
FAQ
Who is Kamala Harris?
Kamala Harris is the 49th Vice President of the United States and the Democratic Party’s 2024 presidential nominee. She is the first woman, first Black American, and first Asian American to hold the Vice President’s office.
What is Kamala Harris’s background?
Kamala Harris was born in Oakland, California, to immigrant parents from Jamaica and India. She attended Howard University and earned her law degree from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco.
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