Kamala Harris: A Trailblazing Vice President

Early Life and Education

Kamala Devi Harris was born in Oakland, California on October 20, 1964. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was an Indian biologist and breast cancer researcher, while her father, Donald Harris, was a Jamaican economist. Harris identifies as Black and uses pronouns she/her.

Harris attended Howard University and the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. After graduating, she worked as a prosecutor in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office and later as San Francisco's District Attorney.

Political Career

Harris was elected as the junior United States Senator from California in 2016, becoming the second African American woman and the first South Asian American woman to serve in the Senate. She served on several committees and made a name for herself as a vocal critic of the Trump administration.

In 2020, Harris was chosen as the Democratic vice presidential nominee, running alongside Joe Biden. They won the election and were inaugurated in January 2021, making Harris the first female, first Black, and first South Asian vice president of the United States.