She has an impressive set of accolades...
The US election is less than a week away, and the polls are still showing Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in a deadlock. If Harris does win, she will make history as the first female president of the United States. This adds to her impressive legacy, which saw her make history in 2021 when she became the first female, first African American, first Asian American, and first Caribbean-American Vice President in the US. Naturally, this means lots of people are searching for Kamala Harris, to find out more about the woman who could be the new US president in less than a week. In particular, people want to find out more about Harris’ early life. Right now, ‘Kamala Harris younger’ and ‘Kamala Harris grandmother’ are breakout search terms on Google. So without further ado, here’s a glimpse into Kamala’s life, from early years to university, that led her to where she is now.Where was Kamala Harris raised?
Kamala Harris with her father Donald, 1965 Donald Harris holds his daughter Kamala, April 1965., PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUKxFRAxUSA Copyright: xKamalaxHarrisxcampaignx/xAvalonx 0891398899
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Kamala Harris was born in Oakland, California to two immigrant parents: an Indian-born mother and Jamaican-born father. However, Kamala was mostly raised by her Hindu single mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, after her parents divorced when she was five. She has one younger sister, Maya Harris, who is a lawyer and public policy advocate.
In the past, Harris has opened up about how her mother, who worked as a cancer researcher and civil rights activist, passed down valuable lessons to herself and Maya. ‘She was tough, courageous, a trailblazer in the fight for women’s health,’ Harris told the Democratic National Committee. ‘She taught us to never complain about injustice but do something about it.’
As a child of Indian and Jamaican born-parents, Kamala has always identified as a Black and South Asian woman and has spoken in detail about her upbringing in a multicultural household in California.
Kamala Harris with her sister, Maya, on Christmas, Dec. 25, 1968. Kamala Harris with her sister, Maya, on Christmas, Dec. 25, 1968., PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUKxFRAxUSA Copyright: xKamalaxHarrisxcampaignx/xAvalonx 0891398907
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‘My mother understood very well that she was raising two Black daughters,’ she wrote in her autobiography The Truths We Hold. ‘She 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.’
Kamala Harris in Harlem, New York, September 1966. Kamala Harris during a family visit to Harlem, New York, September 1966., PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUKxFRAxUSA Copyright: xKamalaxHarrisxcampaignx/xAvalonx 0891398901
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Where did Kamala Harris go to university?
Kamala Harris Kamala Harris at Howard University in 1986, USA., PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUKxFRAxUSA Copyright: xAvalonx 0891385893
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Harris attended Howard University, and was part sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha. She has previously spoken about how Howard was her dream university after she grew up hearing stories about it from her aunt, who also attended the institution. She graduated from Howard in 1986 with a bachelor of arts degree in economics and political science.
‘The thing that Howard taught me is that you can do any collection of things, and not one thing to the exclusion of the other,’ she told Howard Magazine. ‘You could be homecoming queen and valedictorian. There are no false choices at Howard.’
She went on to study at the University of California Hastings College of the Law, graduating in 1989. After graduating from Howard University, Harris joined the Alameda County prosecutor’s office in Oakland as an assistant district attorney focusing on sex crimes. She was later recruited to the San Francisco District Attorney’s office, where she rubbed shoulders with some of San Francisco's elite. In 2011, she was promoted to California's attorney general, becoming the first woman and first Black person elected to serve as the top lawyer in California. A successful run for senator followed in 2016, before making history in 2021 when she was sworn in as the 49th US vice president.What was Kamala Harris' first job?
In an interview with NPR, Harris reflected on the moment that she would take the oath of office as vice president. 'I will be thinking about my mother, who's looking down from heaven. I will be thinking of all the people who are counting on us to lead,' she said.
Harris married to Doug Emhoff, a lawyer from California, in 2014. She is a step-mum to Emhoff’s two children from a previous marriage, Ella and Cole.Is Kamala Harris married?
News: Democratic National Convention - Day 4 Aug 22, 2024 Chicago, IL, USA Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff center applauds with family members from left Greenley Littlejohn, Cole Emhoff, Ella Emhoff, Maya Harris, Tony West and Meena Harris as Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris delivers her acceptance speech during the final day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. Chicago United Center IL USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMarkxHoffmanx 20240822_LJB_usa_628
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Earlier this year, Emhoff revealed a personal side of Harris – who the family affectionately refer to as ‘Momola’ – explaining that she always puts their family first, no matter how demanding her job gets. ‘Those of you who belong to blended families know things can be a little complicated. But as soon as they started calling her ‘Momala,’ I knew we were going to be OK,’ he said. In the speech, he also referred to Harris as a ‘joyful warrior’ and a loving co-parent to his kids who, on their anniversary every year, makes him listen to the ‘embarrassing’ voicemail he left asking her out on their first date.
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