Simone Lawson
Kamala Devi Harris is an American politician who served as the Vice President of the United States. Harris was born in Oakland, California, in 1964 to an Indian biologist mother and an Afro-Jamaican economist father. She attended Howard University, a historically black university, and graduated with a degree in political science and economics. Harris later obtained a Juris Doctor from the University of California, after which she was hired as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County, California. She went on to serve as District Attorney of San Francisco and Attorney General of California before becoming a United States Senator. In 2024, Harris launched her own presidential campaign and became the nominee, ultimately losing the election to former President Trump.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kamala Devi Harris |
| Born | October 20, 1964, Oakland, California |
| Parents | Shyamala Gopalan (biologist) and Donald J. Harris (economics scholar) |
| Education | Westmount High School, Montreal Island |
| Alma Mater | Howard University |
| Career | District Attorney of San Francisco, Attorney General of California, United States Senator for California, Democratic Vice-Presidential Candidate |
| Achievements | First Black and Asian-American woman to serve as US Senator from California, first Black woman and Asian-American to run for Vice President on a major party ticket |
| Political Party | Democratic Party |
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What You'll Learn
Early life and family
Kamala Devi Harris was born in Oakland, California, on October 20, 1964. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was a biologist who immigrated to the United States from India in 1958 to enrol in graduate school at the University of California, Berkeley. Gopalan's research in endocrinology, which spanned over 40 years, led to advances in breast cancer research. Harris's father, Donald J. Harris, immigrated to the US from Jamaica in 1961 and also enrolled at UC Berkeley, specialising in development economics. He later became the first Black scholar to be granted tenure at Stanford University's economics department.
Harris's parents met in 1962 and married in 1963. The family lived in Berkeley until they moved in 1966, around Harris's second birthday. They then lived in college towns in the Midwest—Urbana, Illinois (where her sister Maya was born in 1966); Evanston, Illinois; and Madison, Wisconsin—while her parents held teaching or research positions. By 1970, the marriage had faltered, and Gopalan moved back to Berkeley with her two daughters; the couple divorced when Harris was seven.
In 1972, Donald Harris accepted a position at Stanford University, and Harris and her sister Maya spent weekends at their father's house in Palo Alto while living with their mother in Berkeley during the week. Gopalan was friends with African-American intellectuals and activists in Oakland and Berkeley. In 1976, she accepted a research position at the McGill University School of Medicine and moved with her daughters to Montreal, Quebec. Harris graduated from Westmount High School on Montreal Island in 1981.
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Education
Kamala Harris was born in Oakland, California, on October 20, 1964. She graduated from Westmount High School in Montreal in 1981. Harris then attended Howard University, a historically Black university in Washington, D.C., where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and economics in 1986. During her time at Howard, Harris was introduced to her love of politics and became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, one of the "Divine Nine" historically Black sororities.
Following her undergraduate studies, Harris attended the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, where she served as president of its chapter of the Black Law Students Association. She graduated with a Juris Doctor in 1989.
In 1990, Harris began her career in law and politics as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County, California. Four years later, in 1994, she was appointed to the state Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and later to the California Medical Assistance Commission. Harris completed her time at the Alameda County District Attorney's Office by serving two terms as the District Attorney of San Francisco.
In 2003, Harris became the first African-American and first woman to serve as California's Attorney General. In this role, she worked to hold corporations accountable and protect the state's most vulnerable people. She served in this position from 2011 to 2017.
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Career in law and politics
Kamala Harris, born in Oakland, California, in 1964, has had a long and distinguished career in law and politics. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was an Indian immigrant and a biologist who specialised in breast cancer research. Her father, Donald J. Harris, was an Afro-Jamaican immigrant and a prominent economist at Stanford University. Harris's commitment to justice and public service led her to pursue a career in law and politics.
Harris attended Howard University, a historically Black university, where she obtained a degree in political science and economics in 1986. She then went on to law school at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, graduating with a Juris Doctor in 1989. Harris was admitted to the California Bar in 1990 and began her career as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County, California. She specialised in prosecuting child sexual assault, homicide, and robbery cases.
In 1998, Harris was recruited by the San Francisco District Attorney's Office as an assistant district attorney and became the chief of the Career Criminal Division. She ran for and won the election for District Attorney of San Francisco in 2003, becoming the first person of colour to hold that position. Harris's time as District Attorney of San Francisco was marked by her commitment to criminal justice reform and her focus on prosecuting serious and violent crimes while providing alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent offenders.
In 2008, Harris announced her candidacy for California Attorney General, and in 2011, she became the first woman, the first African American, and the first South Asian American to hold that office in the state's history. As Attorney General, Harris continued her work on criminal justice reform and advocated for abortion rights and women's rights. In 2015, Harris announced her campaign for the United States Senate seat in California and was elected in 2016, becoming the second African-American woman and the first South Asian-American senator in history.
In 2020, Joe Biden selected Harris as his running mate in the presidential election, and they went on to win the election. Harris made history as the first African American, the first Indian American, and the first woman to serve as Vice President of the United States. During her time as Vice President, Harris has continued to advocate for issues important to her, including criminal justice reform and abortion rights. In 2024, Harris ran for president but lost to former president Trump. Despite this setback, Harris's career in law and politics has been characterised by her dedication to public service and her commitment to breaking barriers.
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Vice-presidential campaign
Kamala Harris, the 49th vice president of the United States, served as running mate to Joe Biden in the 2020 election. She was the first Black woman and the first Asian-American to run for vice president on a major party ticket in the United States. Harris's historic selection as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate was announced in August 2020.
Harris's vice-presidential campaign focused on several key issues. She supported national abortion protections, LGBT+ rights, stricter gun control, and legislation to address climate change. She also supported federal cannabis legalization, strengthening voting rights, strengthening the Affordable Care Act, and federal funding of housing. Harris's domestic platform shared similarities with Biden's on some issues, but she departed from his agenda on economic matters, proposing a "populist" approach.
Harris's campaign messaging in July 2024 branded Republicans, Trump, and vice-presidential nominee JD Vance as "weird". This shift towards "freedom" represented a departure from Biden's focus on protecting democracy. In the final month of the election, Harris's tone became bleaker, and she accused Trump of fascism.
Harris has a diverse group of advisers and confidants supporting her campaign, including Julie Chávez Rodriguez as campaign manager and Jen O'Malley Dillon as campaign chairwoman. She also brought on Obama-era adviser David Plouffe, and former Obama speechwriter Adam Frankel prepared her for the DNC speech.
Harris lost the 2024 election to Trump, conceding the day after the election with 48.3% of the popular vote. Her defeat was influenced by losses in key states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, as well as swing states like Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina.
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Presidential campaign
On January 21, 2019, Kamala Harris, then serving as a United States Senator for California, formally announced her run for president. She hosted her first press conference at her alma mater, Howard University. Harris's historic selection as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate was announced in August 2020, making her the first Black woman and the first Asian-American to run for vice president on a major party ticket in the United States.
Harris became the 49th vice president of the United States, serving under President Joe Biden. On July 21, 2024, she announced her campaign for the 2024 presidential election. On that date, Biden withdrew his bid for reelection and endorsed her. Harris became the nominee of the Democratic Party on August 5, following a virtual roll call vote. She selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate the following day.
Harris's domestic platform included support for national abortion protections, LGBTQ+ rights, stricter gun control, and legislation to address climate change. She also supported federal cannabis legalization, strengthening voting rights, strengthening the Affordable Care Act, and federal funding of housing. Harris proposed a "'populist'" economic agenda, marking a departure from Biden's stance on economic issues.
Harris's campaign used social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram to reach younger voters, adopting memes and music to market Harris as a "cool girl". The campaign also released a series of advertisements, including a digital ad featuring Beyoncé's song "Freedom" and bilingual ads in English and Spanish targeting Latino voters in battleground states.
Harris received endorsements from several prominent figures, including Puerto Rican musicians Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, Luis Fonsi, Ricky Martin, and Don Omar, as well as basketball star LeBron James. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also expressed his preference for Harris, citing the potential to strengthen democracy in the United States. However, Harris's campaign faced opposition from some Arab Americans due to her stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict and the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
Ultimately, Harris lost the 2024 United States presidential election to former President Donald Trump. She conceded the race in a speech at Howard University the day after the election.
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Frequently asked questions
Kamala Devi Harris is an American politician and lawyer who served as the Vice President of the United States, and the first African-American and first female Vice President.
Harris was born in Oakland, California, on 20 October 1964.
Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was an Indian biologist and her father, Donald J. Harris, is an Afro-Jamaican economist.
Harris attended Howard University, a historically Black university, graduating with a degree in political science and economics. She then obtained a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.
Harris served as a senator, District Attorney of San Francisco, and Attorney General of California. She also ran for president in 2024, but lost to Trump.
