A good look at HBCU Graduate and presidential candidate, Kamala Harris

By Liv Duncan

30 July 2019

Democrat and Howard University alumna, Kamala Harris, is a front runner for the upcoming 2020 Presidential Election.

Background

Kamala Harris, an African-American California native, is a familiar face for her state as she has been the District Attorney of San Francisco, the Attorney General of California, U.S. Senator from California and is now a presidential candidate for the 2020 Presidential Election. Harris could possibly become the first African-American Democrat woman to be president, should she win.

Harris announced her decision to run in the Presidential Election on January 21, 2019. She was joined by over 20 million people at her formal campaign launch in Oakland, California later on that week.

However, before she started her career in politics, Harris gained her education at the historically black institution, Howard University, in 1986 where she majored in political science and economics. Her Black college experience has molded her into a driven woman who is passionate about positive change in politics that helps every American.

Harris followed her passion for politics as she later returned to California, where she earned her Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. In 1990 she was admitted to the State Bar of California.

 

Politic Positions

Over the years she has made a significant impact on unfair wages, abortion issues, privacy policies, and child welfare, among many other issues. She has continued to persistently question the Trump Administration and its decisions. 

Harris also found herself being questioned about her record as a prosecutor. Her past cases in the criminal justice system led many to believe that she may have wrongfully convicted those involved. In response to the questions, Harris claims to have taken on a position where she is working to change the criminal system. She is also focusing on getting more rights for low-level offenders.

 

2020 Presidential Candidacy

Harris has several important issues on her agenda as president. Healthcare, the economy, the treatment of women, and income and wealth distribution are just a few issues she plans on tackling. 

She is a firm believer that the basic rights in America are still a privilege as not everyone has equal access to them, especially with healthcare. She has plans to not only combat unemployment throughout the country, but to also make sure that wages are realistic as low-income families depend on them.

Harris tends to address issues from a different angle. When asked to speak on women’s issues she responded saying, “OK, I’m so glad you want to talk about the economy.” She went on to explain that “It’s a woman’s issue to care about climate change. It’s a woman’s issue to want comprehensive immigration reform. It’s a woman’s issue to think about criminal justice reform. It’s a woman’s issue to care about reproductive healthcare and the affordable care act. It’s a woman’s issue to care about so many of these things,” This is the angle she attacks many of her questions. 

Recently at Essence Festival, a Black music festival to embrace the Black culture, Harris was asked to talk about issues in the Black community. This was her response:

Sometimes people say, “Kamala, talk to me about Black people’s issues.” And I’ll smile and say, you know — let’s talk about the economy. Let’s talk about health care. Let’s talk about the racial wealth gap. Let’s talk about national security. #EssenceFest

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 6, 2019

By Harris’ angles of attack, it appears that she stands by the belief that issues like health care, the wealth gap, and the economy are issues that affect, in this case, women and Black people. Her saying this supports that all of these issues are important. Though her way of answering these specific questions may leave one to believe she is not focusing hard enough on the issues as they pertain to a certain group of people, that is not the case. If the issues were combat correctly, women and Black people, as well as the rest of the country, would have fewer issues entirely.

Income and wealth distribution are also on her agenda for the 2020 presidential election. She believes that $15/hour is an adequate amount for minimum wage. She has also made sure that equal pay is on her list of issues to attack, even for those who make minimum wage.

Harris is a clear front runner in the 2020 presidential election. She definitely stands out from the rest of the candidates in the way she plans to approach and combat America’s issues. Harris is, nonetheless, a voice for all people of the United States.