| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kamala Devi Harris |
| Early Life | – Birth: October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California. |
| – Family: Daughter of Shyamala Gopalan (Indian immigrant) and Donald Harris (Jamaican-American). | |
| – Education: Howard University (B.A. in Political Science and Economics); University of California, Hastings College of the Law (J.D.). | |
| Career Achievements | – Deputy District Attorney: Alameda County, California. |
| – District Attorney of San Francisco: Elected in 2003; focused on drug policy and domestic violence. | |
| – California Attorney General: Elected in 2010; first female AG of California, known for consumer protection and criminal justice reform. | |
| – U.S. Senator: Elected in 2016; first Indian American and second African American woman in the Senate. | |
| – 2020 Presidential Campaign: Ran for the Democratic nomination but suspended in December 2019. | |
| – Vice President of the United States: Inaugurated on January 20, 2021; first woman, first Black woman, and first person of South Asian descent in the role. | |
| Personal Life | – Marriage: Married to Doug Emhoff since 2014; he is the first Second Gentleman of the U.S. |
| – Family: Step-mother to Doug’s two children from a previous marriage. | |
| Notable Advocacy | – Focuses on voting rights, immigration reform, and economic recovery. |
| – Represents the U.S. in international diplomacy, addressing issues like climate change. | |
| Legacy | Harris’s election as Vice President is a historic milestone in U.S. history, reflecting progress in race and gender representation. |
Early Life
- Birth: Kamala Devi Harris was born on October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California.
- Family: She is the daughter of immigrant parents: her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was a breast cancer researcher from India, and her father, Donald Harris, is a Jamaican-American economist.
- Education: Harris attended Howard University, where she earned a degree in political science and economics. She later received her Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.
Early Career
- Prosecutor: After law school, Harris began her career as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County, California. In 2000, she became the district attorney of San Francisco, where she focused on issues like drug policy and domestic violence.
- California Attorney General: In 2010, Harris was elected as the first female Attorney General of California. She served from 2011 to 2017, gaining national attention for her progressive stances on criminal justice reform, consumer protection, and marriage equality.
Political Career
- U.S. Senate: In 2016, Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate, becoming the first Indian American and second African American woman to serve in the Senate. During her tenure, she focused on issues such as immigration reform, healthcare, and civil rights.
- 2020 Presidential Campaign: Harris launched her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in early 2019 but suspended it in December 2019.
- Vice Presidency: In August 2020, Democratic nominee Joe Biden selected Harris as his running mate. They won the election, and she was inaugurated as Vice President of the United States on January 20, 2021, becoming the first woman, the first Black woman, and the first person of South Asian descent to hold the office.
Personal Life
- Marriage: Kamala Harris is married to Doug Emhoff, an attorney and the first Second Gentleman of the United States. They married in 2014 and have a blended family with Doug’s two children from a previous marriage.
Notable Achievements
- Advocacy: As Vice President, Harris has focused on issues such as voting rights, immigration reform, and economic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Diplomatic Role: She has represented the U.S. on international stages, addressing global issues like climate change and democracy.
Legacy
Kamala Harris’s election as Vice President marks a significant milestone in U.S. history, reflecting broader changes in American society regarding race and gender. She continues to be a prominent figure in the Biden administration and American politics.
