Kamala Harris is the 49th Vice President of the United States, serving since January 20, 2021. She is the first woman, the first African American woman, and the first Asian American woman to hold the office. Harris was born on October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California, to an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, making her the first person of South Asian and Jamaican descent to hold the vice presidency.
Before becoming Vice President, Harris had a distinguished career in law and politics. She graduated from Howard University and the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Harris began her career as a prosecutor, serving as the Deputy District Attorney in Alameda County, California, where she specialized in prosecuting child sexual assault cases.
In 2004, she was elected as the District Attorney of San Francisco, where she served until 2011. During her tenure, she implemented several reforms, including a program aimed at reducing recidivism. In 2011, Harris was elected as the Attorney General of California, becoming the first woman, the first African American, and the first South Asian to hold the position. She served as Attorney General until 2017.
Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016, representing California. As a senator, she served on several important committees, including the Senate Judiciary Committee, where she gained national attention for her pointed questioning during Supreme Court confirmation hearings.
During her time in the Senate, Harris focused on issues such as criminal justice reform, healthcare, and immigration. She ran for the Democratic nomination for president in 2020 but dropped out before the primaries. Joe Biden later selected her as his running mate, and they won the 2020 presidential election.
As Vice President, HKamala Harris has been assigned to lead various initiatives, including addressing the root causes of migration from Central America and promoting voting rights. She has also played a key role in the administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Harris continues to be a prominent figure in American politics, often seen as a potential future presidential candidate.