Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris, born Kamala Devi Harris, is the 49th Vice President of the United States and the first woman, the first Black person, and the first South Asian person to hold the office. Known for her career as a prosecutor, attorney general, and U.S. Senator, Harris has built a reputation for her commitment to justice, equality, and progressive policies. A trailblazer in American politics, she has consistently advocated for criminal justice reform, healthcare access, and racial equity.

Kamala Harris’s upbringing in a multicultural family laid the foundation for her career in public service and advocacy for justice.

• Born Kamala Devi Harris on October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California.
• Was raised in Berkeley, California, primarily by their mother after their parents divorced when Kamala was seven. 
• Moved to Montreal, Canada, with her mother and sister Maya when her mother took a research position there, attending Westmount High School.
• Returned to the United States to attend Howard University, a historically Black university in Washington, D.C., where she majored in political science and economics, and became deeply involved in student government and debate.
• Earned her law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, where she further developed her passion for advocacy and public service.
• Began her legal career as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County, focusing on cases related to child exploitation, domestic violence, and gang violence, which set the stage for her later achievements.

Kamala Harris’s family background reflects a rich blend of cultural heritage and strong ties to activism, education, and public service, which have significantly influenced her life and career.

• Born to Shyamala Gopalan and Donald J. Harris. Her mother, Shyamala, was an Indian-American biologist whose groundbreaking research advanced breast cancer treatment, while her father, Donald, is a Jamaican-American economist and the first Black scholar to earn tenure at Stanford University's economics department.
• Her younger sister, Maya Harris, is a lawyer and political analyst for MSNBC, while her brother-in-law, Tony West, is Uber’s general counsel and a former senior official in the U.S. Department of Justice. 
• Her niece, Meena Harris, is the founder of the Phenomenal Women Action Campaign.
• Harris is married to attorney Doug Emhoff, whom she met on a blind date in 2013. The couple married on August 22, 2014, in Santa Barbara, California. 
• Kamala is a stepmother to Emhoff’s two children, Cole and Ella, from his previous marriage to film producer Kerstin Emhoff.