US President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race has set the stage for Kamala Harris, the first non-white woman to potentially become the Democratic presidential nominee. Harris, currently serving as Vice President, is nominated to lead the party’s ticket, marking a significant milestone in American political history.
Kamala Harris’s candidacy carries significance due to her diverse background. Born in Oakland, California, Harris is the daughter of immigrant parents—her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was a cancer researcher from Chennai, India, and her father, Donald Harris, is an economist from Jamaica. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, emigrated from India in the 1960s.
Harris often speaks of her mother’s impact, reflecting on how her commitment to social justice and education shaped her own path in public service.
"My mother was very proud of her Indian heritage and taught us, me and my sister Maya, to share in the pride about our culture. We used to go back to India every couple of years. One of the most influential people in my life, in addition to my mother, was my grandfather P.V. Gopalan, who actually held a post in India that was like the secretary of state position in this country. My grandfather was one of the original Independence fighters in India, and some of my fondest memories from childhood were walking along the beach with him after he retired and lived in Besant Nagar, in what was then called Madras," Harris told CNN in a 2020 interview.
She further expressed pride in her roots as she said, "I am proud to be who I am, I am proud of the influences that my family have had on my life, that my community had on my life, and similarly the influence of my mentors and colleagues and friends. One is not to the exclusion of the other -- I believe that point is at the heart of this matter. We have to stop seeing issues and people through a plate-glass window as though we were one-dimensional. Instead, we have to see that most people exist through a prism and they are a sum of many factors — everyone is that way, and that is just the reality of it."
Speaking about India's influence on her life, Harris told CNN, "India is the oldest democracy in the world -- so that is part of my background, and without question has had a great deal of influence on what I do today and who I am."
Kamala Harris' Political Career And Potential Run For US Presidential Election 2024
Harris’s rise in American politics began with her tenure as District Attorney of San Francisco and continued as Attorney General of California. Her legal career and her role as a US Senator have been marked by her advocacy for social justice, equality, and comprehensive criminal justice reform.
Harris's selection as Vice President in 2020 was already a landmark achievement, making her the first woman, the first African American, and the first Asian American to hold the office.
As the Democratic Party prepares for the 2024 US Presidential election, Harris’s potential candidacy represents a critical moment in the nation's history with regard to the representation of minority groups at the highest levels of government.
In his announcement, Biden expressed, "It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term."
He also nominated Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate to take on GOP nominee and former US president Donald Trump.
He wrote on X, "My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this."