Sen. Kamala Harris has been elected as the first Black Vice President of the United States in American history. Harris will also be the first South Asian American, woman and HBCU graduate to fulfill this role.
Raised by Shyamala Gopalan and Donald J. Harris, Harris grew up in Berkley, California along with her sister, Maya. She went on to attend Howard University where she worked for Sen. Alan Cranston and became a sister of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. After graduating from Howard University, she earned a law degree from the University of California.
Early in her career, Harris was hired as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County. She quickly rose up the political ladder by being elected the San Francisco District Attorney and California Attorney General.
In recent years, her past as a prosecutor has come into question. Critics often reference the time she called herself the “top cop” in the state. She also supported prosecuting parents of habitually truant children, opposed the use of police body cameras statewide and fought legislation that would investigate police-involved shootings.
In 2017, she was elected to the U.S. Senate. As a Senator, she has earned his praise from her colleagues. She helped usher in the First Step Act, proposed legalizing marijuana to use the revenue to improve disenfranchised communities and pushed for bail reform.
Two years after stepping into Congress, she announced that she would run to become President of the United States. Although her quest to become President fell short in early 2020, former Vice President in Joe Biden asked her to join his ticket in August. Today, the two made history.
Harris will be sworn in as Vice President on January 20, 2020.