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Kamala Harris

Kamala Devi Harris was born on October 20, 1964. She is the 49th vice president-elect of the U.S. On January 20, 2021, she and president-elect Joe Biden took office. She is one of the select few politicians whose goal is to change everything from the inside. Harris entered politics after a prosperous legal career, developing a lifelong interest in social justice. She initially withdrew from the contest for the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee in the 2020 election, claiming a lack of funding. We honor this legendary woman.

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Kamala Devi Harris

Nickname:

Kamla, Mamala

Birth date:

October 20, 1964

Age:

59

Zodiac Sign:

Libra

Height:

5' 2"

Relationship Status:

Married

Kamala's Social Media:

Background

Kamala Devi Harris was born in California on October 20, 1964. Donald Harris is her father, and Shyamala Gopalan is her mother. While growing up, she and her sister Maya attended both a Black Baptist church and a Hindu temple. Harris’s parents divorced when she was seven, and her mother was given custody of both kids. The girls and their mother eventually relocated to Montreal, Canada. Harris attended Westmount High School in Quebec before studying political science and economics at Howard University in the U.S. She moved back to California in 1989, when she attended the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, to obtain her Juris Doctor (J.D.). She was accepted into the California State Bar the following year.

In Alameda County, California, she worked as a deputy district attorney from 1990 to 1998, prosecuting robbery, homicide, and child rape cases. Louise Renne, the elected City Attorney of San Francisco, sought out Harris in 2000 for the job of chief of the Community and Neighborhood Division. In November 2007, she started a program that gives first-time drug traffickers the chance to graduate from high school and find employment. 2009 saw the publication of Harris’s book “Smart on Crime: A Career Prosecutor’s Plan to Make Us Safer.”

She ran for office as California’s attorney general in 2010, running against Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley. After winning, she was sworn in as female attorney general on January 3, 2011. She defeated Ronald Gold for reelection in November 2014. With 62 percent of the vote, she defeated Loretta Sanchez in the 2016 U.S. Senate race in California. She was sworn in as the California senator for the U.S. on January 3, 2017.

Career timeline

1990s
The Deputy District Attorney

Harris works as a deputy district attorney in the Californian county of Alameda, prosecuting robbery, homicide, and child rape cases.

2003
The Appointment as District Attorney

Terence Hallinan loses to Harris for the position of district attorney in San Francisco.

2009
Harris Publishes a Book

"Smart on Crime: A Career Prosecutor's Plan to Make Us Safer" is published by Harris.

2011
The Appointment as Attorney General

Harris defeats Steve Cooley, the district attorney for Los Angeles County, and is named attorney general of California.

2016
The Position in Senate

With 62% of the vote, Harris defeated Loretta Sanchez to become the next senator from California.

2021
Harris is the U.S. Vice President

After Joe Biden wins the election, she takes over the office of vice president alongside him.

Why We Love Kamala Harris

  1. She is an activist

    Harris has owned her voice right from when she was a young girl. She is known to speak out for others and conditions that she finds uncomfortable. She once protested with her sister against a policy that banned children from playing on the lawn.

  2. A life dedicated to serving

    Harris has always been in the public space serving others and her country. All she knew was to put others forward and bring about effective change to the people around her. She is not done bringing change to her community and the country at large by ensuring that people live better.

  3. Knowledge is there to share

    Being selfish with knowledge is a waste of knowledge. It is there to be shared among people, so they can better themselves. Harris is an avid reader and a writer putting her knowledge out there for people to use.

5 Surprising Facts

  1. A daughter of immigrants

    She was conceived by Jamaican-born Donald Harris, an emeritus professor of economics at Stanford University, and Indian American immigrant Dr. Shyamala Gopalan, a breast cancer researcher.

  2. Her name is of Indian ancestry

    To maintain her cultural identity, she is named Kamala, which is another name for the Hindu deity Lakshmi and means ‘lotus’ in Sanskrit.

  3. She is a great cook

    Harris frequently posts on social media about her love of Sunday dinners, cooking prowess, and recipes.

  4. She belonged to Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority

    Harris joined Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA), the first Black women's Greek letter organization, while a student at Howard University.

  5. She was friends with Beau Biden

    Beau, the late son of President Biden who passed away in 2015 from brain cancer, was a friend of hers.

Kamala Harris FAQs

How many times did she get married?

Harris has been married twice. Her first husband was Steven Hoge. Her second and current husband is Doug Emhoff.

What is Kamala Harris' favorite food?

We already know she is an excellent cook and likes to eat good food. Although she really enjoys roast chicken, burritos are at the top of her list of cravings.

Is Kamala Harris's mom dead?

Yes, her mom passed away from colon cancer on February 11, 2009. Keeping her mother’s legacy alive is of great importance to her.

Kamala Harris’s birthday dates

YearDateDay
2024October 20Sunday
2025October 20Monday
2026October 20Tuesday
2027October 20Wednesday
2028October 20Friday

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