In her new role as 49th Vice President of the United States, Kamala D. Harris set three records as the first South Asian American Vice President of the USA, first Black Vice President of the USA, and first female Vice President of the USA.
During the inauguration ceremony on Wednesday 20 January, Harris proudly took her oath of office to carry out the responsibilities of Vice President of the country. By her side were husband, Douglas Emhoff, two stepchildren, Ella and Cole Emhoff, and her immediate family.
Harris' role now includes duties such as breaking tie votes as President of the US Senate, becoming a top advisor, and carrying out assignments provided by the President, as well as assuming the Presidency should the current President not be able to fulfil their responsibilities, and much more.
Though she is no stranger to the country’s legislative process.
Prior to becoming Madam Vice President, she served as a United States Senator, representing her home state of California from 2017-2021, in addition to the state’s attorney general, and San Francisco’s district attorney general from 2011-2017.
Her father, Donald J. Harris, a Professor of Economics, Emeritus, at Stanford University hailing from Jamaica and late mother, Shyamala Gopalan, a breast cancer Biologist from India, introduced Kamala and her sister, Maya, to civil rights and US legislation information early in their childhood, sparking the drive to later help the American public and beyond.
Following her drive to be "For the People", Harris grew up to study at Howard University to earn a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics in 1986. After graduating, she went on to receive her law degree in 1989 from Hastings College of Law at the University of California.
“My mother would look at me and she’d say, ‘Kamala, you may be the first to do many things, but make sure you are not the last,’” she told press.
She hopes that her experience and Vice Presidency will inspire future generations to follow their dreams.
"To the children of our country, regardless of your gender, our country has sent you a clear message: Dream with ambition, lead with conviction, and see yourself in a way that others might not see you, simply because they’ve never seen it before. And we will applaud you every step of the way," Harris said during her Vice President-elect Acceptance Speech.
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