Kamala Harris

In a HERstorical and divisive moment in United States history, this country’s current Vice-President, Kamala Harris, has been endorsed to become the presumptive nominee as the President of the United States of America.  Despite the unorthodox process of Kamala Harris securing unprecedented support from President Joe Biden, members of Congress, Democratic delegates from all over the country, donors, labor unions, celebrities, and everyday people, America is now faced with a woman who has a serious opportunity to elect a woman to the White House.  To be clear, this will not be an easy task to go up against the former President and now convicted felon Donald Trump (yes, a convicted felon can run for the presidency of the U.S. while many from the hood cannot get a plain decent job with an arrest or conviction). However, Kamala Harris and her campaign team have already positioned her political battle and bars against Trump as the Prosecutor vs Perpetrator (and Felon). There are some in the Hip-Hop world who have expressed their support for Trump yet many more in Hip Hop and elsewhere have become super-charged with excitement that Biden stepped down and passed the opportunity to Kamala Harris who quickly jumped right into the seat, almost like a scripted stunt, to lead the democratic party and make moves to go up against a cult-like MAGA Republican political party and the Donald, Mr. Trump.  To those in the Hip Hop community, please do the math and fact-check. To help get you started on learning more and to understand why The Source endorses Kamala Harris for President, please review the overview and summary below.  

THE PERSONAL LIFE OF KAMALA HARRIS

Kamala Devi Harris was born in Oakland, California, in 1964.  Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, had moved to the United States from India in 1958 and received her PhD in nutrition and endocrinology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1964.  Her father, Donald J. Harris, came to the United States from British Jamaica in 1961 and received a PhD in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley in 1966.  Harris is both Indian and African American.

In 1966, when she was two, her family moved to Chicago and then around the Midwest for the next several years. In 1970, she moved back to California in 1970 with her mother and sister.  Her parents divorced a year later.  They lived in Berkeley, and when Harris started kindergarten, she was bused to the Thousand Oaks Elementary School as part of Berkeley’s comprehensive desegregation program.  A neighbor regularly took Harris and her sister to a local African American church, where they sang in the choir, and their mother took them to a Hindu temple. 

When she was twelve, Harris moved with her mother and sister to Montreal, where she attended primary school and high school.  After high school, she attended Vanier College in Montreal, and then transferred to Howard University in Washington D.C.  She graduated in 1986 with a degree in political science and economics and went on to law school.

Harris is married to attorney Doug Emhoff, whom she met in 2013. She is also stepmother to his two children from a previous marriage. Harris is a Baptist and a member of the Third Baptist Church of San Francisco. 

KAMALA HARRIS & THE LAW

For her entire professional career up until her election to the U.S. Senate in 2017, Kamala Harris worked as a government attorney for the State of California.  There, she rapidly advanced to the highest echelons of government service and repeatedly shattered the glass ceiling for women, African Americans, and South Asian Americans.   Serving as District Attorney of San Francisco, California Attorney General, and U.S. Senator, Harris made a significant positive impact on the state of California and the entire nation.

In 1989, Harris received her juris doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of Law, and was admitted to the California Bar the following year.  In 1990, she was hired as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County, California. She was appointed to the state Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and the California Medical Assistance Commission several years later.  In 1998 she was hired as an assistant district attorney in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, where she eventually became the Chief of the Career Criminal Division, prosecuting homicide, burglary, robbery, and sexual assault cases.  In 2000, Harris left the District Attorney’s office and went to work for San Francisco City Attorney Louise Renne, where she ran the Children’s Services Division, litigating child abuse and neglect cases.

District Attorney of San Francisco: In 2002, Harris ran for District Attorney of San Francisco. When she won the election, she became the first person of color to be elected.

Harris served as District Attorney of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011 and amassed a list of notable accomplishments, including:

• Created a Hate Crimes Unit focusing on hate crimes against LGBTQ children and teens.
• Created a gun crimes unit, pushed for higher bail for defendants charged in gun-related crimes, and increased charges and penalties on defendants possessing assault weapons
• Urged that life imprisonment without parole was a better and more cost-effective punishment and promised never to seek the death penalty
• Founded the Back On Track program, a highly successful re-entry initiative for nonviolent offenders that was adopted by the National District Attorneys’ Association and became a model for other cities
• Led a city-wide initiative to combat truancy, reducing the chronic truancy rate by 23%
• Created an Environmental Crimes Unit

Attorney General of California: In 2010, Harris was elected Attorney General of California and became the first woman, African-American, and South Asian American to hold the office.  As she had in San Francisco, she accrued numerous substantial achievements in the six years she served, including:

• Obtained two of the largest recoveries ever under California’s False Claims Act involving excess Medi-Cal and federal Medicare payments.
• Worked with legislators to introduce the Homeowner Bill of Rights, which became a nationwide model for protections against aggressive foreclosure actions.
• Negotiated with tech companies, including Apple, Amazon, Google, HP, Microsoft, and Facebook, to require them to post privacy policies regarding users’ personal information in connection with their apps.
• Declined to defend Proposition 8, a state constitutional amendment requiring that only marriages between a man and a woman are valid, and filed an amicus brief arguing Proposition 8 was unconstitutional
• Aggressively enforced environmental violations and entered into numerous large settlements with violators, including a $14.7 billion settlement with Volkswagen AG to resolve claims that it had installed devices on its vehicles to cheat emissions standards
• Guided the California Department of Justice to become the first statewide agency in the country to require all officers to wear body cameras 
• Created the California Department of Justice eCrime unit to investigate and prosecute technology-related crimes, which shut down and prosecuted many “revenge porn” websites in the state.

United States Senate

In 2016, Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate seat, which was left vacant when Barbara Boxer announced that she would not run for re-election.  In her three years as a senator, Harris sponsored 164 items of legislation, including the Paycheck Protection Program Transparency Act of 2020, the Environmental Justice For All Act, the Fair and Accurate Census Act, the COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Taskforce Act of 2020, the Pandemic Disaster Assistance Act of 2020, the Ending Homelessness Act of 2019, and the Justice For Victims of Lynching Act of 2019.   Additionally, based on her strong legal background, Harris served effectively on a number of critical senate committees, including the Budget Committee, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Judiciary Committee.

KAMALA HARRIS PRIOR PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

In January 2019, Harris launched her first presidential campaign.  Harris was only the third African American woman in U.S. history to seek the Democratic presidential nomination, following the illustrious footsteps of Shirley Chisholm in 1972 and Carol Moseley Braun in 2004.  She stood before a crowd of 20,000 revelers in Oakland, California, and laid out her vision to take America forward.  But by December of the same year, before any votes had been cast, she was out of the race, and with that departure, her presidential hopes became far from certain.  One vital component to her dropping out was a lack of funds, an essential component for any successful run in modern-day politics, especially in the age of the 24-hour news cycle.  Money rules politics, and she ran out.

When hearing of her withdrawal, her then-rival and future President Joe Biden remarked, “I have mixed emotions about it,” and praised her as a “first-rate intellect.”  She is, and Biden knew talent when he saw it, as he would eventually pick her as vice president.  The two were elected in 2020.  

On Sunday, July 21, 2024, amidst criticisms from his own party that he was too old and unelectable to oppose Trump, Biden announced that he was withdrawing his candidacy for President in the 2024 election. Shortly thereafter, he endorsed Harris as the Democratic candidate.

Now, the 2024 race is a far different race than 2020. The world has changed, and Harris is making a new bid for the White House under unprecedented political circumstances.  As the current vice president, Harris is the presumptive frontrunner to succeed Biden for the next four years. Biden waited a mere 30 minutes to endorse her following his historic and selfless withdrawal from the 2024 race. There is limited time before the election, and Harris must avoid the missteps that took down her previous run at the White House. 

She is off to an excellent start.   The Harris campaign raised over $100 million in 24 hours after Biden’s withdrawal, a historic haul and the most money ever raised in any political arena in that time. Her campaign emphasized its strong grassroots support, with over 1.1 million unique donors, including 62% first-time contributors. That is unprecedented.  Harris is also expected to benefit from Biden’s entrenched campaign infrastructure, particularly its field and data operations, and could leverage her prosecutorial background in debates against Trump.  Her candidacy feels different, and the level of excitement is something America has not seen since maybe 2007 or perhaps ever. 

Amanda Loveday, a senior adviser to a pro-Biden super PAC, noted Harris’s growth since 2020, saying, “The woman I met back then is very different from the woman I see on TV today.  She’s grown as a leader and she has developed more confidence.”  Harris feels like an incumbent because, in some ways, she is. To solidify her campaign agenda, she is on track to tap a vice president who will help thrust her vision until November.  Potential candidates include Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who have all won elections in Trump-friendly states.

New challenges are going up against the most radical right-wing presidential candidate in

American history. Biden and her democratic colleagues did not hand her a perfect plate of food.

There is work to be done, and time is running against her.  However, the air is not as stale after Trump and Biden’s debate. The energy levels have jumped off the chart.  Harris’s candidacy is a breath of fresh air, and with the wind at her back, Vice President Kamala Harris is looking more like the future President Kamala Harris than ever before.

KAMALA HARRIS AS VICE PRESIDENT

As Vice President, Kamala Harris has become the face of the Democratic Party’s fight for abortion rights following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. This year, she launched the “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour, becoming the first sitting VP to visit an abortion clinic. Harris has also backed federal legislation to guarantee a national right to abortion. In March 2024, she toured a Planned Parenthood clinic in Minnesota, marking a historic moment for the administration.

Harris has also been at the forefront of the Biden administration’s efforts to expand voting rights. Despite facing legislative setbacks, she helped craft and advocate for the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, which aimed to strengthen the protections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

During the 2022 midterms, Harris appealed to voters by prioritizing reproductive rights. This year, she continued to highlight abortion access, emphasizing the importance of reproductive freedoms in her advocacy.

On immigration, Harris’s Central America Forward initiative has secured over $4.2 billion in private sector commitments to create jobs and address the root causes of migration from Central America. Her efforts aim to provide long-term solutions to immigration challenges.

As Vice President, Harris has cast a record number of tie-breaking votes in the Senate, including pivotal votes for the Inflation Reduction Act. This legislation funneled billions into clean energy initiatives and codified lower prices for prescription drugs, reflecting Harris’s significant impact on the administration’s priorities.

KAMALA HARRIS VS. DONALD TRUMP

As the 2024 presidential race heats up, the matchup between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is taking center stage. Donald Trump has secured 2,243 delegates to become the Republican nominee, surpassing his closest competitor, Nikki Haley, who garnered only 93 delegates. In contrast, Kamala Harris has amassed 2,719 delegates ahead of the Democratic National Convention, where she is expected to be formally nominated in August.

While Trump holds the nomination, his support within the Republican Party has been questionable. High-profile Republicans, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, have publicly criticized his leadership. Even his own vice presidential nominee once likened him to “America’s Hitler.” This internal dissent creates a challenging environment for Trump’s candidacy.

Harris, on the other hand, has received strong, unanimous support from Democratic officials, a testament to the party’s unity and strength. Following President Joe Biden’s exit from the race, potential contenders like Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer quickly endorsed Harris, further solidifying the party’s support for her.

In the cultural arena, Harris enjoys overwhelming support from diverse voices. Beyoncé has approved ‘Freedom’ as her campaign song, and celebrities like John Legend, Ariana Grande, George Clooney, and Cardi B have voiced their endorsements. CNN’s Elizabeth Wagmeister described this celebrity backing as unprecedented, highlighting the broad appeal of Harris’s campaign.

Trump’s support in popular culture is more niche, with backing from recently RICO-indicted rappers Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow and controversial media personalities like DJ Akademiks and Amber Rose. Elon Musk also supports Trump, viewing Democratic developments as opportunities to showcase the community power of his social media app X.

After accepting President Biden’s endorsement, Vice President Harris stated she would focus on defeating Trump and the work of the Project 2025 agenda.

“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” said Harris. Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead. 

“I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party — and unite our nation — to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda.”

Trump is reversing course on an earlier statement, revealing that he is open to debate Vice President Harris multiple times if she once she is confirmed as the nominee from the Democratic Party. Previously, sources close to Trump highlighted his demeanor to having to “start over” his campaign with the alternate, while continuing to attack President Biden on Truth Social.

Vice President Kamala Harris has gained a slight two-percentage-point lead over Republican Donald Trump following President Joe Biden’s decision to end his re-election campaign and endorse her, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. Previously, Biden had a narrow two-point deficit against Trump in last week’s poll before his Sunday announcement.

The latest poll, conducted on Monday and Tuesday, came after the Republican National Convention, where Trump formally accepted the nomination on Thursday and Biden’s announcement on Sunday. Harris, who her campaign confirms has secured the Democratic nomination, leads Trump 44% to 42% in the national poll, a difference within the 3-percentage-point margin of error.

Ultimately, the outcome of the 2024 presidential race will hinge on the Electoral College, a pivotal institution in the American political system. Each state has several electors based on its congressional representation, with 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency. Most states follow a winner-takes-all system, making key swing states critical battlegrounds.

As the race progresses, both candidates will continue to vie for these crucial votes, with the Electoral College ultimately deciding the next President of the United States.

TOP 10 REASONS THE SOURCE SUPPORTS KAMALA HARRIS

1. Time For A Woman: The Source is of the strong opinion that it is time of a Woman Commander in Chief.  This decision is based on the unique compassion we hope will result from a woman leader not merely based on the fact that after almost 250 years. this country of the United States of America has failed to elect a woman President.  Now is the time. 

2. Experience and Leadership: Kamala Harris has a diverse background, including serving as a U.S. Senator after serving as the Attorney General of the state of California. Her experience and respect for the law to protect the public’s interests equip her with a deep understanding of state and federal governance as well as international affairs.

3. Supreme Court: America has a U.S Supreme Court that is becoming increasingly scary and dangerous on many issues that will impact all people, regardless of political affiliation, and we need to have a President that will appoint the next few Supreme Court justices with a more progressive mindset to balance

4. Advocacy for Justice Reform: Kamala Harris has a strong track record on criminal justice reform, focusing on issues like reducing mass incarceration and improving police accountability. While many have focused on her prior role as a former prosecutor for those accused of crimes in California, they fail to reference the numerous efforts she implemented to advocate for justice reform and to prevent criminal activities to avoid having to confront the criminal justice system. 

5. Commitment to Health Care, Economic Justice and Climate Change: Kamala Harris supports expanding access to health care, including the Affordable Care Act and initiatives to reduce prescription drug costs, aiming to provide comprehensive health care for all Americans.
Harris also advocates for policies aimed at economic equity, including raising the minimum wage, investing in infrastructure, and supporting small businesses, particularly those owned by minorities. She is also committed to addressing climate change, with plans to invest in clean energy and rejoin international climate agreements to ensure the U.S. leads on environmental protection.

6. Focus on Education: Education is the key and the passport of our future.  Kamala Harris supports increasing funding for public schools, reducing student loan debt, and making higher education more affordable, which aligns to enhance educational opportunities for all, unlike Donald Trump and the right-wing MAGA party, which wants to remove books that educate students on the history of America. Eliminating and ignoring history is a serious threat to the future of America. 

7. Support for Civil Rights & Social Justice: Kamala Harris’ platform strongly supports civil rights, gender equality, and LGBTQ+ rights, reflecting a commitment to advancing social justice and equality.

8. Character: Kamala Harris has demonstrated focus, intensity, resilience, and determination throughout her career, often breaking barriers and addressing challenges head-on, which can be crucial for effective leadership. She is also wise and very strategic.  Just look at how she has trumped Trump lately.  She confronts him without going too low, yet she takes him to task on his obvious character flaws. 

9. Dedication to Multi-Racial Unity: Kamala Harris has proven to be a person who has served and performed extremely well in a multi-racial democracy. She fully appreciates and understands the importance of bridging divides and fostering unity among Americans, which is essential for leading a diverse and multicultural country.

10. Kamala Harris is Black: She is not only a Black woman, she is also Asian, as stated above.  She has always identified as a Black woman, as many who are multi-racial with Black identity. It is ironic that we publish this story the day after the false, tired, and weird comments made by the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).  The interview with Black women journalists ended abruptly. Although VP Harris is Black and Asian, she is an American and running to become the second Black President of the United States. 

The post KAMALA HARRIS FOR PRESIDENT – The Stakes of the 2024 Election and the Endorsement of The Source first appeared on The Source.

The post KAMALA HARRIS FOR PRESIDENT – The Stakes of the 2024 Election and the Endorsement of The Source appeared first on The Source.