“I call them Laughing Kamala, have you ever seen them laugh? They laugh like mad. They are mad, they are liars.”
During a rally in Michigan on July 21, former US President Donald Trump said this about Vice President Kamala Harris. There were speculations then that the Democratic Party might make him the presidential candidate.
The Democratic Party did this on August 6. Now, in the November presidential election, Trump will face Kamala, who he calls crazy.
Kamala who was born to an Indian woman. Who raised 2 step children instead of giving birth to her own children. Who, being black, became a contender for the highest office in male-dominated American politics. In this story, the life journey that made Kamala Kamala…
Birth of Kamala
Indian Brahmin mother and father Donald Harrisoffspring of
Kamala Harris was born on October 20, 1964 in Oakland, California. He was born into a family of two immigrants. Mata Shyamala Gopalan moved to America from Tamil Nadu, India at the age of 19 after graduation.
This was the time of 1958 when black people in America were fighting for their rights. Here he met a Jamaican boy, Donald Harris. Both were black and had come to America from countries that had been enslaved by the British for years.
These similarities brought them closer and they fell in love. They started joining together in demonstrations against inequality and apartheid. Shyamala's plan was to return to her native India after completing her studies, but that could not happen. Donald's love kept Shyamala in America. Both got married in 1963.
Kamala is the first child of Shyamala and Donald. According to the New York Times, when Kamala was young, Shyamala and Donald would carry her to performances in a cradle.
Kamala Harris with her younger sister Maya Harris.
Three years after Kamala's birth, her sister Maya was born. However, by then differences between his parents had started to grow. In an interview, Kamala Harris said that the relationship between her parents was like oil and water. They could not be together.
The result was that the two got divorced in 1972 after 9 years of marriage. Kamala was only 7 years old at this time. Mother Shyamala and father Donald fought a long battle for their custody in a California court. Mother had won.
Kamala and her sister in California with their mother Shyamala. Shyamala did not remarry after her divorce from Donald.
Kamala's father writes in his book 'Reflections of a Jamaican Father', “ Courts at that time believed that fathers could not raise their children. Above all, I was a black father. The thinking about us was that we would eat our kids for breakfast. Despite this I never gave up trying to win the love of my children. “
Kamala Harris, along with her father Donald, maintained contact with her father even after her divorce from her mother.
After the divorce, Kamala Harris and her sister were raised by their mother. Because of this, Indian culture has a lot of influence on Kamala. Kamala's mother was a Tamil Brahmin.
They believed that women were strong and courageous in cultures that worshiped goddesses. Although divorced from her husband, Shyamala Gopalan taught her daughters not only about Indian but also about their father's African culture.
Kamala and her sister Maya with their grandchildren in Tamil Nadu.
Kamala writes in her biography 'The Truths We Hold – The American Journey' –
My mother understood very well that she was raising two black girls. He filled us with confidence and hope.
In 1954, when Kamala was 5 years old, apartheid in America had separate schools for black and white children. The system was declared unconstitutional the same year.
However, the ground reality has not changed. White parents took to the streets, not wanting their children to study with blacks.
The government started a system to improve the situation. Under which black children were bussed to large and modern schools. Most of these white children were educated. Kamala Harris was among the children who came to attend the big schools for white children on government buses.
When mother got a job as a teacher in Canada, she left America
When Kamala Harris turned 12 years old, she had to leave America and move to Canada with her mother and sister. His mother got a job there as a teacher at McGill University. Kamala did not like going to America at all.
Kamala always missed her friends. “It was a terrible experience to leave California with pleasant weather and go to Montreal covered with 12 feet of snow,” he wrote in his biography.
Kamala has mentioned very little about her days in Canada. He spent almost his teenage years there. During the 5 years she spent in Canada, Kamala studied in 4 different schools.
Her friend Dean Smith told English newspaper The Daily Mail, “Kamala didn't have a boyfriend during her school days. She used to come to schools only to study, not to befriend boys.
Introducing Kamala in her school book in Canada in 1981.
Another friend of Kamala's, Wenda Kagan, says that Kamala's personality was so powerful that she stood out at school. Once, Venda Kamalan revealed that her stepfather sexually abused her. Hearing this, Kamala called Venda to her house and kept her there. Kamala's mother and sister Maya also helped her.
Kamala is still good friends with her friend Wenda Kagan in Canada.
After completing her schooling in Canada, Kamala returned to America, where she took admission in Harvard University. Here, like her mother, Kamala held many demonstrations for the rights of blacks.
Kamala expressed her views clearly and did not hesitate to confront anyone. Because of this, he got a place in Harvard University's Debate Club. In 1983, Kamala Harris sat in protest outside the university administration building against the firing of the editor of the student newspaper. It was from here that he developed an understanding of politics and public life.
Kamala's personal life
Having an affair with a man 30 years older, people even called her a mistress
After graduating from Harvard with a degree in Political Science, Kamala completed her law studies at Columbia University in 1989. In 1990, he joined the State Bar Council of California and began working as an assistant.
In 1994, he met 60-year-old Willie Brown. At that time he was the Speaker of the California Assembly. Meanwhile, Kamala was 30 years old and in the early stages of her career. Despite the huge age gap, the two dated each other for 2 years. In an interview, Kamala spoke about her relationship with Willy.
This will probably stick in my eye for the rest of my life.
In fact, because of this relationship, Kamala was also called Willy's mistress. When Kamala was elected as the vice presidential candidate in 2020, Kamala received a lot of criticism on social media for her relationship with Wiley. He was also called a house breaker.
Upset by this, Willie Brown himself clarified that Willie had divorced his wife while they were in a relationship. Kamala's critics accuse her of taking advantage of Willy's position. In 2003, Kamala was running for District Attorney of San Francisco.
This picture of Kamala and Willie Brown is from 1995, when they were dating each other.
In the meantime, opponents revealed the relationship between Kamala and Willy which ended 7 years ago. To defeat Kamala in politics, her opponents dragged her personal life to court.
He alleged that Kamala used her relationship with Willie Brown to get two government posts simultaneously. However, despite these allegations, Kamala won the District Attorney election.
She became the first African-Asian woman elected to the position from California. Kamala dated celebrity anchor Montel Williams in 2001. Montel used to host a famous American TV show. He was divorced.
Montel brought Kamala and his daughter along to a red carpet event. This was the first time Kamala was introduced to the American public at a major event. However, their relationship did not last long.
After that Kamala started to strengthen her career. In 2010, she was elected Attorney General of the State of California. She was the first black woman to achieve this position.
Kamala Harris with celebrity anchor Montel Williams. Montel is still a fan of Kamala's powerful personality.
Meeting with husband Douglas on a blind date
Kamala met Douglas Amhoff just 3 years after becoming a California attorney. It was a blind date. The two were introduced by Kamala's close friend Chrisette Hudlin.
Hudlin asked Kamala out on a blind date, but she did a Google search about Dougal before going. Douglas was divorced, having married his first wife Kristen in 1992, with whom he had a daughter and a son.
Douglas is a lawyer by profession. Kamala Harris said during an interview that she likes Douglas's sense of humor. After being in a relationship for a year, both got married in 2014.
Kamala has no children of her own. Opponents continue to attack him regarding this. “The country is run by a childless cat lady,” Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance said in 2021, without naming Kamala. Those who do not even have their own children, whose personal life has not been good, they are ruining the country.
However, Kamala helps raise her two stepchildren. Both of Douglas Amhoff's children call him Momala.
Kamala Harris with her husband Douglas Amhoff and stepchildren. Douglas said in an interview that he cheated on his first wife, falling in love with his children's teacher.
political life-
Entry into politics from lawyer, became presidential candidate in 7 years
When Kamala chose lawyering as a career, her mother did not like it very much, but she convinced her.
Kamala says she became a lawyer so that the law could improve the lives of women, children and blacks. However, it is also a fact that lawyers have dominated American politics.
According to Harvard University, 60% of US presidents since independence as of 2015 have been lawyers. More than 40% of MPs in the US Congress are lawyers. Kamala's first step in her political career was advocacy. He rose from District Attorney to State Attorney and then to the Senate (US House of Representatives).
Within a year of becoming district attorney, Kamala began to be embroiled in controversy over his approach. These controversies increased Kamala's popularity. In 2004, a member of a criminal gang shot and killed policeman Isaac Espinoza.
People are demanding that the killer be given capital punishment. However, Kamala did not seek the death penalty as a public prosecutor. Not only the policemen but also the senator from California opposed him on this.
Isaac Espinoza along with his wife and child, the mention of his death still shakes Kamala.
As an attorney, Kamala worked to reduce the death penalty. He believes that the judicial system should focus more on preventing crimes rather than punishing them. He also reduced the punishment for minor crimes.
Kamala started the Back on Track programme. Under which people who committed minor crimes were given school education and job training, so that they could leave crime and lead a life like a normal citizen.
Kamala also focused on punishing those parents who did not send their children to school for education. This offense is called truancy.
It hit black parents the hardest. Because of this, Kamala received a lot of criticism. However, campaigners for Kamala say it has led to a 33% reduction in truancy cases.
Kamala never abandoned those who helped her
Journalist Michael Cruz wrote about Kamala's politics in Politico magazine in 2019, “From glitzy San Francisco weddings to charity events and big restaurants, Kamala has built connections with the city's rich. Staying in touch with them at every turn of her political career, Kamala has never abandoned those who helped them.
Kamala Harris entered electoral politics in the year 2016. This was the same year that Donald Trump became the President of the United States. Kamala Harris was endorsed by Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
She became the second black woman elected to the Senate. Just two years after becoming an MP, Kamala Harris has put her name forward to join the presidential race in 2019.
However, Kamala Harris suffered a defeat at the hands of Biden in the presidential debate. He withdrew his name from the nomination race. In the summer of 2020, Biden announced Kamala Harris as his vice-presidential running mate.
After Biden's victory in 2020, Kamala Harris was elected the first black woman vice president in American history. Within 7 years of entering politics, he is now a presidential candidate. According to the NYT, despite being a late contender, he is facing a tough challenge from Trump, who is running for the presidency for the third time. In the poll, Kamala is ahead of Trump in 5 out of 7 important states.
If she wins, she will become America's first female president.
Will forever write his name in history.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
