Apart from her impressive headlines, the presidential nominee is a sneakerhead who studied ballet and thrived on the influence of her grandfather, a diplomat.
Vice President Kamala Harris has spent nearly two decades dedicated to public service while accomplishing numerous groundbreaking milestones along the way. She has made history as the first Black woman to be elected district attorney in California, the first woman to hold the position of California’s attorney general, and the first female vice president, which positions her as the highest-ranking female official in the history of the United States.
Even today, as the first Black woman and first Asian American to be chosen as a presidential candidate on a major-party ticket, she continues to pave the way for future generations.
Still, there is so much more to this trailblazing public servant and her impressive list of firsts.
Here are some interesting facts you might not know about Kamala Devi Harris and how they, too, may have set her just a heartbeat away from the U.S. presidency.
1. While growing up, Harris went to both a Black Baptist church and a Hindu temple, to embrace her Black and South Asian identities. “My mother understood very well that she was raising two Black daughters,” Harris later wrote in her autobiography, The Truths We Hold: An American Journey, “and she was determined to make sure we would grow into confident, proud Black women.”
2. She visited India as a child and was greatly impacted by her grandfather, P.V. Gopalan, a high-ranking government official who fought for Indian independence and served as a diplomat in Zambia. She was also heavily influenced by her grandmother, an activist, who dedicated her life to traveling the countryside teaching impoverished women about birth control.
3. Harris’s educational journey took place in Montreal, where she attended both middle school and high school. This opportunity came about as a result of her mother securing a teaching position at McGill University, and a role as a cancer researcher at Jewish General Hospital. “It was a difficult transition,” she wrote, “since the only French I knew was from my ballet classes.”
4. While living in Montreal, a 13-year-old Harris along with her younger sister, Maya, led a successful demonstration in front of their apartment building to protest a policy that banned kids from playing on the lawn. Her political activism would continue throughout her younger years, and then as a student at Howard University in Washington, D.C. She’d spend many weekends on the National Mall, protesting apartheid in South Africa.
5. She failed the California bar exam on her first try. She remembers it as an extremely disappointing moment. “I couldn’t get my head around it,” she said, describing the experience as “the most half-assed performance of my life.” She then took it as an opportunity to reflect on her preparation; and on her second attempt, she passed.
6. She goes way back with Barack Obama. Her 20-year connection and unwavering support for the former president mostly began when she hosted a fund-raiser in San Francisco for his 2004 Senate run. She went on to be the first major office holder in California to endorse his 2008 presidential bid while many Democratic heavyweights rallied behind Hillary Clinton. In return for her loyalty, Mr. Obama endorsed her bid for California attorney general in 2010, and again at last week’s Democratic National Convention, where he celebrated her as a unifier on a quest to “build a country that is more secure and more just, more equal and more free.”
7. However, she declined a job to work in his administration. Back in 2014, Eric Holder, who served as the attorney general under President Obama, reached out to Harris to inform her that he was stepping down from his position. He asked if she would consider taking over. After careful consideration, she decided to decline the flattering offer and remain in California. She was reelected as attorney general that same year and then went on to serve as the junior U.S. senator from California, from 2017 to 2021.
8. One of her most notable accomplishments as attorney general was the establishment of Open Justice, an online platform that provides access to criminal justice data for the general public. This database has played a crucial role in enhancing police accountability by gathering information on the incidents of deaths and injuries involving individuals in police custody.
9. Her favorite books include Native Son by Richard Wright, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.
10. She went toe-to-toe with Jamie Dimon. Harris had an incredibly heated argument with Mr. Dimon, the chief executive of J.P. Morgan, when she served as California’s attorney general. The incident took place during the 2008 financial crisis, as she fought for assistance for homeowners who had suffered foreclosure from major banks. In her memoir, she candidly described the intensity of the interaction: “We were like dogs in a fight,” she noted.
11. But, their most recent meeting was quieter. Harris successfully obtained over $20 billion in financial relief from the banks (California was originally offered only $4 billion in a national mortgage settlement). Despite their past, she and Dimon had a lunch meeting at the White House in March.
12. If elected, she will hold a unique place in American history as one of the shortest presidents to date. Standing at just five feet four inches tall, Ms. Harris’s height sets her apart from many previous presidents. Should she secure victory in the 2024 presidential election, she will join James Madison (he served two presidential terms, from March 4, 1809 to March 3, 1817) who also stood at the same height. Beyond her political aspirations, Ms. Harris possesses a passion for sneakers and has a uniquely large collection of Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star basketball shoes. Among her assortment, she even owns the platform style which provides an extra boost in height. This particular choice of footwear comes in handy, “…for when I am wearing a pantsuit,” she said, allowing her to add a touch of elevation to her stature.
