Kamala Harris: The Making of a Leader Through College Years and Beyond
Kamala Devi Harris's journey to becoming the first female Vice President of the United States is a story of breaking barriers and shattering glass ceilings. Her formative years, particularly her time at Howard University, played a crucial role in shaping her into the leader she is today. This article explores Harris's college years, her early career, and her rise to national prominence, highlighting the values and experiences that have defined her public service.
Early Life and Education: Seeds of Ambition
Born in Oakland, California, on October 20, 1964, Kamala Devi Harris is the daughter of Shyamala Gopalan, a Tamil biologist from India, and Donald J. Harris, an Afro-Jamaican economist. Her mother's work on the progesterone receptor gene led to advances in breast cancer research. Harris spent some of her childhood in Montreal, Canada, where she attended Westmount High School from 1977 to 1981, after her mother accepted a teaching position at McGill University’s medical school and a research position at Jewish General Hospital. After graduating high school, Harris attended Vanier College in Montreal for a year before transferring to Howard University.
Howard University: A Bison is Born
In the fall of 1982, Harris embarked on a transformative journey to Howard University in Washington, D.C. Inspired by Thurgood Marshall, one of the nation’s most iconic attorneys and civil rights leaders, Harris chose Howard for her postsecondary education. As she wrote in her 2019 memoir, "The Truths We Hold," she "wanted to get off on the right foot," and believed that Howard, Marshall's alma mater, was the perfect place to do so.
At Howard, Harris pursued political science and economics, quickly becoming known for her intellectual curiosity and commitment to service. She ran her first campaign as a first-year undergraduate for the Liberal Arts Student Council. She later chaired the Economics Society and excelled on the University’s speech and debate team, honing the rhetorical skills that would become essential to her career.
Harris was also initiated into the Alpha chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the oldest Black Greek letter organization for women, in the spring of 1986. Her involvement in Alpha Kappa Alpha further solidified her sense of community and commitment to Black sisterhood.
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Harris has often spoken about the profound impact of her time at Howard, emphasizing the unique environment it provided for Black students. As she stated in a 2019 Washington Post article, "When you’re at an HBCU, and especially one with the size and with the history of Howard University - and also in the context of also being in DC, which was known forever as being ‘Chocolate City’ - it just becomes about you understanding that there is a whole world of people who are like you. It’s not just about there are a few of us who may find each other."
During her time in Washington, D.C., Harris began to engage with national politics, participating in anti-apartheid protests at the National Mall and the South African embassy. She also interned in the office of California Senator Alan Cranston, gaining firsthand experience in the workings of the U.S. government. Additionally, she secured internships with the Federal Trade Commission and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
By the time she graduated from Howard in 1986 with a degree in political science and economics, Harris was well-prepared for a career in law and public service. As she reflected, "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."
Law School and Early Legal Career
After graduating from Howard, Harris attended the University of California, Hastings College of the Law (now known as the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco), where she served as president of the Black Law Students Association. She earned her law degree in 1989 and was admitted to the California Bar in 1990.
Harris began her legal career as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County, California, where she prosecuted cases of gang violence, drug trafficking, and sexual abuse. In 1994, she was appointed to the state Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and later to the California Medical Assistance Commission. In 1998, she joined the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, where she became the chief of the Career Criminal Division.
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District Attorney of San Francisco
In 2003, Harris was elected district attorney of San Francisco, becoming the first Black person to hold the position in California. During her tenure, she focused on prosecuting criminals while also implementing programs aimed at rehabilitation. She created a Hate Crimes Unit and pushed for higher bail for criminal defendants involved in gun-related crimes.
Within her first six months in office, Harris cleared 27 of 74 backlogged homicide cases. She also focused on hate crimes against LGBT children and teens in schools.
Attorney General of California
In 2010, Harris was narrowly elected attorney general of California, becoming the first woman and the first African American to hold the post. She was reelected in 2014, defeating Republican nominee Ronald Gold with 58% of the vote. During her time as attorney general, Harris expanded her focus on consumer protection, recovering billions for California consumers. She also spearheaded the creation of the Homeowner Bill of Rights to combat aggressive foreclosure practices during the housing crisis.
Harris also worked on privacy rights and was instrumental in advancing criminal justice reform.
United States Senator
In 2016, Harris won the election to represent California in the United States Senate, becoming the first Indian American and only the second Black American woman to serve in the Senate. She took office in January 2017 and joined the Congressional Black Caucus as well as the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
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As a senator, Harris served on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the Select Committee on Intelligence, the Committee on the Judiciary, and the Committee on the Budget. She became known for her prosecutorial style of questioning witnesses during hearings, which often drew criticism from Republican senators.
Harris advocated for stricter gun control laws, the DREAM Act, federal legalization of cannabis, and reforms to healthcare and taxation. She also co-sponsored the Justice for Victims of Lynching Act, which would classify lynching as a federal offense.
2020 Presidential Campaign and Vice Presidency
In January 2019, Harris announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States. During the campaign, she gained attention for her performance in the first Democratic presidential debate, where she challenged Joe Biden on his past opposition to school busing. However, her campaign struggled, and she withdrew from the race in December 2019.
In August 2020, Joe Biden selected Harris as his running mate, making her the first Black woman to appear on a major party's national ticket. In November 2020, Biden and Harris defeated the incumbent president and vice president, Donald Trump and Mike Pence.
Harris was sworn in as vice president on January 20, 2021. As vice president, she has been involved in a wide range of policy issues, including addressing the root causes of migration from Central America, promoting national legislation to protect voting rights, and preserving women’s access to abortion. She has also cast numerous tie-breaking votes in the Senate.
2024 Presidential Campaign
In April 2023, President Biden announced his reelection campaign with Harris as his running mate. However, on July 21, 2024, Biden suspended his reelection campaign and endorsed Harris for president. She secured enough votes from Democratic Party delegates to win the party’s nomination and announced that she had selected Tim Walz, the Democratic governor of Minnesota, as her vice-presidential running mate.
Despite the initial optimism, Harris lost the 2024 United States presidential election to Trump on November 5, 2024. She conceded the race the next day in a speech at her alma mater, Howard University.
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