From Howard University to the White House: Kamala Harris's HBCU Journey
10/03/2024 06:18 PM
Kamala Harris is a woman of many firsts. She is the first woman, African American, and Asian American to hold office as both district attorney and attorney general in California. She is the first South Asian American to become Senator of California.
Most notoriously, she is the first woman, African American, and Asian American to be vice president of the United States. If elected in November, Kamala Harrison will be the first woman president of the United States, and her legacy of firsts will continue. One first she will acquire is being the first president to attend an HBCU.
It is a well-known fact that Harris is a proud graduate of Howard University. Any chance she gets, she expresses her sincerest gratitude to her beloved alma mater and shares how her experiences at Howard helped her get to where she is today. Many people know this story, but for those who don’t, from Howard University to the White House, this is Kamala Harris's HBCU Journey.
Kamala Harris was born in Oakland, California, to Shyamala Gopala and Donald J. Harris. Harris comes from academic greatness, as both her parents attended the University of California, Berkeley. Her mother's research on the progesterone receptor gene led to advances in breast cancer research, while her father specialized in economics and was the first Black scholar to be granted tenure at Stanford University's economics department.
Before attending her beloved Howard University, Harris briefly attended Vanier College in Montreal. Once she got to Howard, she took the campus by storm and became heavily involved. During her time at Howard, Harris served on the College of Arts and Sciences Student Council as a first-year representative, was a member of the debate team, and became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. She graduated in 1986 with a degree in political science and economics.
She then attended the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, where she served as president of the Black Law Students Association. Harris earned her Juris Doctor degree in 1989 and was admitted to the California Bar the following year.
Prior to running for district attorney of San Francisco in 2002, Harris was deputy district attorney in Alameda County, California, in addition to other roles. After winning the election, she became the first person elected to that position. She later ran unopposed for a second term in 2007.
Harris was elected as attorney general of California in 2010, officially taking office in 2011, and was reelected in 2014. After serving as attorney general for six years, Harris resigned from her position to take her seat in the United States Senate.
Harris replaced then-Senator Barbara Boxer, who had held the position for more than 20 years. At the time, Harris was a top contender for the position from the start of her campaign. Former President Barack Obama and current President Joe Biden endorsed Harris. She served as Senator of California from 2017–2021.
In 2019, Harris announced her candidacy for president during the 2020 election; at that time, she was considered the potential frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. Due to a shortage of funds, she later dropped out of the race and endorsed President Biden. He chose Harris as his running mate in the election, and on January 20, 2021, Harris was sworn in as the United States first woman, African American, and Asian American vice president.
Back in July, President Biden suspended his campaign for reelection in 2024, thus endorsing Harris. The first 24 hours of her candidacy, Harris raised $81 million in donations, making it the highest single-day total of any presidential candidate in history. Many celebrities and political figures have endorsed Harris for president, including Barack and Michelle Obama, Beyonce, Hillary Clinton, Taylor Swift, Megan Thee, and Jimmy Carter, along with many others. After securing the Democratic nomination for president, she announced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.
Harris has always been vocal about how attending an HBCU shaped who she is today. That is why HBCUs are key components of her campaign as both supporters and initiatives. The Harris-Walz campaign has a strong focus on HBCU students and alumni. Harris penned an open letter to HBCU students expressing the importance of being politically involved. And HBCU alumni, especially those apart of the Divine Nine, have rallied to support Harris. Some of Harris's line sisters made an appearance at the first Democratic National Convention in support of her.
No matter the outcome in November, Kamala Harris is an inspiration to many. She shows that with hard work, you can achieve anything. From Howard University to the White House, not bad for a Bison.
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