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By Manny Otiko | California Black Media
Rumors circulating on social media about Vice President Kamala Harris’s family, interests, politics, temperament, love life, beliefs and more did not begin when President Joe Biden dropped out of the race for the U.S. presidency last month and endorsed her candidacy.
However, a steady flow of disinformation has followed that announcement, including questions about her academic achievements. Harris’s life is under the microscope as more facts about her childhood and adult life surface in the national conversation.
As we dig through what’s true and not about the character and past of the woman who could be the next President of the United States, here are 10 little-known facts that give us more insight into her personality, past and private life.
- Harris is named after the Hindu deity Lakshmi. The name “Kamala” means lotus in Sanskrit.
- Her immediate family life is culturally diverse and so is her family background. Her mother was from India and her father is from Jamaica. She’s married to Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish. From the ages of 3 to 5, Harris lived on the west side of Madison, Wisconsin. She also lived in Champaign, Illinois and briefly lived in Canada as a child.
- Harris is part of a blended family. She is a co-parent to her husband’s two children, who call her “Momala.” Harris’ parenting abilities were praised by Emhoff’s ex-wife. “For over 10 years, since Cole and Ella were teenagers, Kamala has been a co-parent with Doug and I,” said Kerstin Emhoff in a statement to CNN. “She is loving, nurturing, fiercely protective, and always present. I love our blended family and am grateful to have her in it.” Harris’ stepchildren also called her a “third parent.”
- Harris has a record for breaking barriers according to Biography.com. She was the first woman district attorney in San Francisco, and the first African American woman to serve as California Attorney General. She’s also the first woman to serve as Vice President. Will she be the first woman to serve as Commander-in-Chief.
- Harris has activism in her DNA. Her parents took her to civil rights marches when she was a child. According to Harris’ own accounts, she and her sister, Maya, protested their Montreal apartment’s policy of banning children from playing on the lawn. Also, her Indian maternal grandfather was an activist for women’s rights.
- Harris was born at the height of the civil rights movement and experienced some of the huge societal changes common during that era. She was bused as part of Berkeley Schools’ desegregation program.
- Harris is a foodie. She sees cooking as a good way to relax. According to Glamour, her mother sparked her interest in cooking. In 2019, Harris shot a campaign video with Indian American actress Mindy Kaling where they prepared masa dosa.
- Although Harris got her start in the Bay Area political scene, she has ties to Southern California and the entertainment industry. She briefly dated former talk show host Montel Williams. When she’s in the Los Angeles area, she stays at her husband’s Brentwood home. Emhoff was an entertainment lawyer.
- Harris is a Baptist and a Black Greek. One criticism of Harris is that she can’t relate to Black people. However, many of her life experiences have involved important African American cultural and religious organizations. She is a member of a Baptist church, graduated from Howard University, is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA.)
- During her time as San Francisco DA, Harris instituted the Back on Track initiative. This program expunged young offenders’ records, as long as they performed community service and graduated from high school. The U.S. Department of Justice recognized it as a model reentry program.
