10 Lesser Known Facts About US Vice President Elect Kamala Harris

There hasn’t been a better time to be a woman in this world. Doors that were once only open for privileged men in power are now being taken over by feminist forces and fairly so. Instead of longing to fit into glass slippers, women are now breaking the glass ceiling. They’re asking for their fair share and refusing to settle for anything less. After eons of being robbed off their due credit, they are finally making their voices heard and taking up important roles in society which they rightfully deserve.

One among these powerful forces is an Indo-African prosecutor-turned politician who is on the cusp of changing the history of American politics. She is none other than Kamala Harris, the first woman of colour to run for the post of Vice President of The United States Of America on a major party ticket. Having devoted her life to public service and practised a successful career in the criminal justice system of California, Harris’ views and values are a breath of fresh air for American voters. She is standing up for all that matters: healthcare and education, equality for immigrants and a solid criminal reform system in a country that has, for the longest time, been bearing the brunt of its poor gun laws and rampant drug abuse.

She has the senate’s most progressive voting records thus far. Being the pioneer that she is, it goes without saying that people are interested in knowing more about her life. AskMen India reveals 10 interesting facts about USA’s vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris:

She Had A Multicultural Childhood

Kamala Harris is the daughter of Shyamala Gopalan, a cancer researcher from India and Donald Harris, an economist from Jamaica. Given her interracial background, she grew up amongst a multicultural community in California.

Growing up, all her friends were black. They got together to cook Indian food and painted their hands with henna. Kamala sang in the choir of a Black Baptist church and visited the Hindu temple occasionally. Every few years, she flew to Jamaica with her father and to India, with her mother.

She Was Named By Her Mother

Kamala Devi Harris’ name was inspired by Hindu mythology and chosen by her Indian mother, Shyamala Gopalan. ‘Kamala’ and ‘Devi’ are Sanskrit words that stand for the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi who represents wealth and good fortune. This was a way to connect her children with her country’s rich culture known for worshiping women and their strength.

She Grew Up during The Civil Rights Movement

Kamala’s mother, Shyamala Gopalan came to the US at age of 19 to pursue a doctoral degree in endocrinology at the University of California. While she was there, she became actively involved in the American Civil Rights Movement and decided to extend her stay even after her studies were complete. It was there that she met Donald Harris, an economics aspirant and activist. Once Kamala was born, they took her along to rallies and campaigns around the Bay Area.

Her Grandfather Fought For INDIA'S Independence

Kamala Harris’ grandfather P.V Gopalan was a high-ranking government official who actively fought for India's independence. He condemned corruption and later became an adviser to newly independent nations like Zambia. Her grandmother, Rajam Gopalan, had been married off at 16, but grew up to become a strong, self-assured lady who used her position as an upper caste wife to empower women from disadvantaged backgrounds by teaching them how to access birth control.

She Wanted To Be A Lawyer As A Child

Since Kamala was born with a stroller-eye view of the civil rights movement, lawyers became her heroes growing up, so much so that she wanted to be one herself. She thought it was the only way to serve society and help the disadvantaged populations. Constance Baker Motley, Charles Hamilton Houston and Thurgood Marshall were some of her role models. After completing her undergraduate studies at Howard University, Kamala returned to California to join Hastings College Of Law in order to become a prosecutor and change the criminal justice system from the grassroots.

She Introduced Innovative Solutions For Crime

Being a prosecutor gave Kamala Harris power to change the criminal justice system from within. It allowed her to divert attention to crimes that needed immediate redressal and decide whom to prosecute and whom to offer rehabilitation opportunities, while removing racial biases that often come into play in such set-ups.

She was particularly interested in advocating for victims of abuse, especially women and children. She believed that low-level, drug-trafficking defendants get a second chance at life by way of job training and other opportunities to build life skills.

She Drew To Politics In College

While at Howard University, Kamala got on board the debating committee that sharpened her public speaking skills. She also campaigned for the position of class representative of the liberal arts student society during her freshman year. Her college years taught her to multitask between mentorship programs for minorities and demonstrations against apartheid. It was then that her interest in politics was sparked.

She was motivated to explore potential opportunities in public services, including being a tour guide at the Bureau Of Engraving And Painting, working as a press aide at the Federal Trade Commission and interning for Californian Senator Alan Chranston.

She Loves To Cook And Works Out Every Day

Given her hectic schedule, Kamala Harris holds on to two things in terms of routine: working out and eating well. Every morning, she runs on the treadmill while watching MTV or VH1. She loves cooking, especially in the company of her husband Doug Emhoff. If she doesn’t have the time, she simply bookmarks recipes from the New York Times’ cooking section and reads them whenever she wants to relax. She has tried almost every recipe from Alice Waters’ The Art Of Simple Food. French fries are her comfort food and roast chicken, her go-to dinner.

She Is An Old Friend Of Barack Obama

Kamala Harris’ alliance with ex-US president Barack Obama dates back to 2004. She was the law attorney in California at that time and the first notable officeholder to endorse him during his 2008 presidential campaign. Harris was also rumoured to be a potential Supreme Court nominee under the Obama administration, but she later said that she wasn’t interested in taking it up.

She Mentors Young Women Aspiring To Join Politics

Kamala is proud to be the first woman of colour to run for Vice President in the 2020 elections, but she sure doesn’t want to be the last. She has made it a point to mentor young women aspiring to make a career in politics.

One of her mentees is Iyahna Smith, a girl from a disadvantaged background who shared her aspiration to go to Howard University after high school in a speech which Harris happened to hear. Today, Iyahna is a senior student at Howard, thanks to Harris, who assisted her with college essays and internships.

Kamala Harris’ nomination is a landmark in the history of American politics!

Cover artwork by Dhaval Punatar/AskMen India