Malcolm Rivera
Kamala Devi Harris is an American politician who served as the Vice President of the United States, alongside President Biden. Harris was born in Oakland, California, in 1964 to an Indian biologist mother and an Afro-Jamaican economist father. She graduated with a degree in political science and economics and later obtained a Juris Doctor. Harris began her career as a prosecutor and served as District Attorney of San Francisco and Attorney General of California. She was the first Black scholar to be granted tenure at Stanford University's economics department. Harris later became a United States Senator and launched her own presidential campaign in 2024, ultimately losing the election to former President Trump.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kamala Devi Harris |
| Born | October 20, 1964, Oakland, California |
| Parents | Shyamala Gopalan (Indian biologist) and Donald J. Harris (Jamaican economist) |
| Education | Westmount High School, Howard University |
| Profession | Politician and lawyer |
| Notable Roles | District Attorney of San Francisco, Attorney General of California, United States Senator for California, Vice President of the United States |
| Political Affiliation | Democratic Party |
| Political Achievements | First Black and Asian-American woman to serve as Vice President on a major party ticket in the US; second African-American and first South Asian-American senator in history |
Explore related products
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 career spanned over 40 years, and her work on the progesterone receptor gene led to significant 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 lived for a few years in college towns in the Midwest, including Urbana, Illinois, where her sister Maya was born in 1966, Evanston, Illinois, and Madison, Wisconsin. 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. Harris and her sister Maya spent weekends at their father's house in Palo Alto and lived with their mother in Berkeley during the week. Shyamala Gopalan was friends with many African-American intellectuals and activists in Oakland and Berkeley. In 1976, she accepted a research position at the McGill University School of Medicine, and the family moved to Montreal, Quebec. Harris graduated from Westmount High School on Montreal Island in 1981.
Donors Behind Kamala Harris: Who Funds Her Campaigns?
You may want to see also
Education
Kamala Harris was born in Oakland, California, and lived there until she was two years old. Her family then moved to college towns in the Midwest, including Urbana, Illinois, Evanston, Illinois, and Madison, Wisconsin. Her parents, both of whom were immigrants, held teaching and research positions at universities in these towns. In 1970, Harris's parents divorced, and she moved back to Berkeley, California, with her mother and sister. In 1976, her mother accepted a research position at McGill University School of Medicine, and the family moved to Montreal, Quebec.
Harris graduated from Westmount High School on Montreal Island in 1981. She then attended Vanier College in Montreal in 1981–1982. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and economics from Howard University, a historically black university in Washington, D.C., in 1986. During her time at Howard, she became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, one of the "Divine Nine" historically black sororities.
Harris then pursued a legal education at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, where she served as president of the Black Law Students Association. She graduated with a Juris Doctor in 1989.
After completing her formal education, Harris began her career in the legal field. In 1990, she was hired as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County, California. She quickly gained a reputation as "an able prosecutor on the way up." Her career progressed, and she went on to hold various prominent positions, including serving as the District Attorney of San Francisco and the Attorney General of California.
The Long Road: Presidential Campaigns and Their Durations
You may want to see also
Career
Kamala Harris is an American politician and attorney who served as the junior United States senator from California from 2017 until 2020. She is the first African American, the first Indian American, and the first woman to serve as Vice President of the United States, a position she has held since 2020.
Harris graduated from Howard University, a historically black university in Washington, D.C., in 1986 with a degree in political science and economics. During her time at Howard, she was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, one of the "Divine Nine" historically black sororities, and she interned as a mailroom clerk for California senator Alan Cranston. She then attended the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, graduating with a Juris Doctor in 1989.
In 1990, Harris was hired as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County, California. In this role, she was described as "an able prosecutor on the way up". In 1994, she was appointed to the state Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and later to the California Medical Assistance Commission. In February 1998, Harris was recruited as an assistant district attorney in San Francisco, where she became the chief of the Career Criminal Division. In 2000, she took a new job at San Francisco City Hall, working for city attorney Louise Renne and running the Family and Children's Services Division, representing child abuse and neglect cases.
In 2002, Harris ran for District Attorney of San Francisco against her former boss Terence Hallinan and another candidate, winning with 56 percent of the vote. She became the first person of colour to be elected district attorney of San Francisco. In 2008, Harris announced her candidacy for California Attorney General, and in 2011, she was sworn in, becoming the first woman, the first African American, and the first South Asian American to hold the Attorney General's office in California's history.
Get Active in Politics: A Beginner's Guide to Political Involvement
You may want to see also
Explore related products
2024 Presidential campaign
Kamala Harris, the 49th vice president of the United States, announced her 2024 presidential campaign on July 21, 2024. On the same day, incumbent President Joe Biden withdrew his bid for reelection and endorsed her. Harris became the Democratic Party nominee on August 5, 2024, following a virtual roll call vote. She selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.
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, and federal funding for housing. On economic issues, Harris departed from Biden, proposing a "populist" agenda. She supported strengthening the Affordable Care Act, which Biden had signed into law in 2010.
Harris's campaign used social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram to reach younger voters, reposting memes and changing its banner to imitate album art to market Harris as a "cool girl". The campaign also released ads in English and Spanish, targeting Latino voters in battleground states. One ad, titled "Tougher," focused on the southern border and highlighted Harris's experience as a "border-state prosecutor."
In August 2024, Harris visited the border in Arizona and advocated for stricter asylum rules than President Biden. She also pledged to crack down on fentanyl and increase the number of Border Patrol agents. Harris's stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict and the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon caused frustration among some Arab Americans, potentially impacting her support in Michigan.
Harris faced off against the Republican ticket of former President Donald Trump and U.S. Senator JD Vance of Ohio. Trump's campaign attacked Harris's views on transgender rights, including her support for tax-funded gender-affirming surgery for transgender people in prison. Despite this, Harris lost the 2024 election to Trump, conceding in a speech at her alma mater, Howard University. She lost both the electoral college and the popular vote, with key losses in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, as well as the swing states of Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina.
The Government's Loyal Supporters: Who Are They?
You may want to see also
Political views
Kamala Harris, the former Vice President of the United States, has held a variety of political positions throughout her career. She has served as a senator, the district attorney of San Francisco, and the attorney general of California. Harris's political views are reflected in her voting record, public speeches, and interviews.
In terms of economic policy, Harris has stated that one of her highest priorities is "to support and strengthen the middle class". She has supported progressive tax programmes and co-sponsored a bill with Bernie Sanders to expand social security for the elderly by increasing the tax rate on investments. As a presidential candidate in 2019, she proposed a corporate tax rate of 35%, which was more aggressive than President Biden's proposal of 28%. During her acceptance speech as the Democratic candidate, she promised to "pass a middle-class tax cut that will benefit more than 100 million Americans".
On gun control, Harris has consistently supported stricter gun control measures throughout her career. She has received an "F" rating from the pro-gun NRA Political Victory Fund. As district attorney in San Francisco, she filed an amicus brief in District of Columbia v. Heller, arguing that the Washington, D.C. gun law did not violate the Second Amendment. As California's attorney general, she successfully defended the state's gun laws when they faced legal challenges. Harris has also announced resources to support the implementation of red-flag laws, which aim to deny firearms to those who may harm themselves or others.
Harris has also taken a strong stance on education. She supports busing to desegregate public schools, saying that schools today are "as segregated, if not more segregated" than when she was in elementary school. She proposes that school districts should consider busing as an option rather than making it the federal government's responsibility. Additionally, she supports the creation of a government funding program to pay tuition and fees for students from low-income families attending public colleges and universities.
On immigration, Harris has said that she believes the immigration system is "broken" and needs to be fixed. She has been an outspoken critic of the Trump administration's treatment of people, especially pregnant women, trying to immigrate to the US or seeking asylum. She has also supported increasing the number of border patrol agents to improve border security.
Texts From Democrats: Why Am I Receiving These?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Kamala Harris is an American politician and lawyer. She was the first African-American and first female Vice President of the United States, serving alongside President Biden.
Harris served as District Attorney of San Francisco and Attorney General of California before being elected as a United States Senator. In 2024, she launched her own presidential campaign and became the Democratic nominee, but ultimately lost the election to former President Trump.
Kamala Harris is a member of the Democratic Party.
Harris attended Howard University, a historically black university in Washington, D.C., graduating with a degree in political science and economics in 1986. She then attended the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, graduating with a Juris Doctor in 1989.
