Kamala Harris made history in 2020 when she became the first female Vice President of the United States, and the first person in that role to be of Black and South Asian descent. Like many other Americans, Kamala is a proud child of immigrants who’s been vocal about her cultural background during her ascension into success.
In a recent interview, the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee dismissed the notion that she has only recently highlighted her Blackness, which she gets from her Jamaican father, Donald J. Harris. Her Black identity has notably been attacked by her opponent, Republican nominee Donald Trump. The latter has implied that Kamala has attempted to capitalize on her Jamaican heritage by repping it to entice Black voters.
When CNN’s Dana Bash asked about Trump’s attacks, Kamala responded, “Same old tired playbook. Next question, please.”
Who Are Kamala Harris’ Parents, Shyamala Gopalan Harris and Donald J. Harris?
Shymala grew up in India, and Donald in Jamaica. According to People, the two met at a Black Students Association study group at the University of California, Berkley, in 1962. Their romance flourished for a year before they married in 1963 and had Kamala in 1964 and Maya in 1967. The parents, both immigrants from former British colonies, were reportedly very interested in and passionate about civil rights.
Kamala spoke of her parents’ early romance at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. She said Shymala and Donald “fell in love in that most American way — while marching together for justice in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.” Despite the love in their early years, the couple ultimately divorced in 1972.
Kamala has noted that she was primarily raised by her late mother, who passed away in 2009 from colon cancer. Shymala was a well-studied breast cancer researcher and peer reviewer for the National Institute of Health. Kamala’s father, Donald, was an economics professor at Stanford, Yale, and other universities. According to the Jamaica Observer, he was scheduled to receive an Order of Merit in 2021 in his homeland, Jamaica, “for his outstanding contributions to national development.” Realtor.com reports that Donald lives a mile from the White House but that he and Kamala currently have an estranged relationship.
The Vice President Identifies As A Black Woman
Kamala, a graduate of Howard University, a longstanding HBCU (Historically Black College or University), has adamantly and publicly identified as a Black woman.
“I’m Black, and I’m proud of being Black,” she told The Breakfast Club in 2019. “I was born Black. I will die Black, and I’m not going to make excuses for anybody because they don’t understand.”
The Vice President has favorably recalled Mrs. Regina Shelton as a Black woman in her life who was her “second mother.”
“Throughout my career, I have been motivated to help improve the lives of children and families, modeled on Mrs. Shelton’s approach,” Kamala wrote for PS, formerly PopSugar, in 2023.
