Top 10 facts about Kamala Harris
After a lifetime of public service, having been elected District Attorney of San Francisco, California Attorney General, and United States Senator, Kama Harris was finally elected vice president of the United States. Kamala is such a unique woman and these are the top 10 facts about her that may shock you.
#10: The meaning of her name
One interesting fact about Kamala is Kamala. The meaning of her name has been one of the most discussed topics in the political circle since her announcement as Joe Biden’s running mate. The is probably so because very few could pronounce it correctly. Kamala’s name originates from her mother and it’s of Indian origin.
Kamala means lotus. The name makes reference to the Hindu deity Lakshmi which stands for women empowerment.
Related Posts:
Indeed, kamala is a self-empowered woman and she has championed the empowerment of other women too.
#9: Kamala married at the age of 49 years
Kamala Harris and husband, Doug Emhoff
In today’s world, ladies are itchy to nail it with a gentleman at an ealry age. They give so many reasons – they want to have kids early etc. Many become frustrated if they fail to marry in their 30’s but that is not Kamala. She married attorney Doug Emhoff in California in 2014 when she was 49 years old. Kamala had previously dated Montel Williams, the talk show host. But she hadn’t married before she met Doug Emhoff. Doug has two children from his previous marriage.
#8: She led a demonstration when just 13 years old
Some say true leaders are born. When can say same for Kamala. Perhaps, she is just a victim of her own name. Kamala has a long history with activism. Her parents would even take her to protests when she was an infant.
At just 13 years of age in Montreal, Canada, Kamala held a demonstration in front of their apartment building with her sister’s help to protest the fact that children weren’t allowed to play on th front lawn. Their efforts were succesful and the policy was amended to address their concern and wishes.
#7: She takes her ‘Momala’ role seriously
Kamala Harris being sworn in as Vice President of the United States
Doug Emhoff brought two children from his previous marriage – Cole and Ella. Kamala became stepmum to the children. However,both the children and Kamala weren’t happy with the ‘stepmum’ brand so they decided to invent a name for their mum – ‘Momala’. The name seems to be a clever amalgamation of ‘Mom’ and ‘Kamala’. In a 2019 Elle essay, Momala called Cole and Ella her “endless source of love and pure joy”, adding that, “I can say one thing with certainty, my heart wouldn’t be whole, nor my life full, without them.”
#6: She’s daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants
Jamaican-Indian flag
On October 20, 1964 Kamala was born at Oakland, California’s Kaiser Hospital to Jamaican and Indian immigrants. Her mother, Dr. Shyamala Gopalan, was a breast cancer researcher. Her father, Donald Harris, was an emeritus professor of economics at Standford university. The couple met as doctoral students at the Universit of California at Berkeley in the fall of 1962 and married the next year.
#5: She’s first female, first black and first South Asian to hold the office of the Vice President in the US
On October 20, 1964 Kamala was born at Oakland, California’s Kaiser Hospital to Jamaican and Indian immigrants. Her mother, Dr. Shyamala Gopalan, was a breast cancer researcher. Her father, Donald Harris, was an emeritus professor of economics at Standford university. The couple met as doctoral students at the Universit of California at Berkeley in the fall of 1962 and married the next year.
#4: She refused to pursue the death penalty against a man who murdered a San Francisco police officer
Kamala Harris
In 2004, Harris declined to pursue the death penalty against the man who murdered San Francisco police officer called Isaac Espinoza. At he funeral of the police officer, Senator Dianne Feinstein delivered an eulogy in which she criticized Harris, who was in the audience, prompting a standing ovation from the hundreds of officers in attendance.
#3:She dated a man who was 30 years older than her
Kamala dated Willie Brown, a powerhouse in California politics who was then the speaker of the state assembly in 1994. Brown was 30 years older than her.
Brown’s position gave him the power to appoint Harris to the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and the Medical Assistance Commission – postions that together fetched her around $80,000 annually aside her salary as prosecutor.
#2: She supported a 2010 law that made truancy a misdemeanor
Kamala Harris
#1: Her Wikipedia page was edited 408 times in one month
In a span of three weeks, Kamala Harris’s Wikepedia page was edited 408 times in June alone. The edits were mostly conducted by one person. The page saw a flurry of activity at a time that she was inching closer to being named Joe Biden’s running mate. Wikipedia is often the first place many look at after a vice presidential nominee is named.
Which of 'facts' did you find amazing or worrying? Did we miss any point worth mentioning? Don't be shy, nail it down in the comment section below.