Here is VP Harris career journey

TANZANIA has become one of the countries in Africa to be visited by one of most powerful women in the world—US Vice-President Kamala Harris.

VP Harris attracted global attention since she was elected to the post, hence becoming the first-woman ever to hold such highest ranking in the one of the richest countries.

In her speech immediately after being elected, she said she may be the first woman in the office, but she will not be the last.

“Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities and 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 yourselves in a way that others may not, simply because they’ve never seen it before,” she stated.

She added: “I will strive to be a vice president like Joe was to President Obama, loyal, honest, and prepared, waking up every day thinking of you and your family, because now is when the real work begins, the hard work, the necessary work, the good work, the essential work to save lives and beat this epidemic.”

These, her own words, may definitely define her and describe her historical background and what she actually believes in and fights for.

Looking back to her historical background, Ms Harris was born in October 20, 1964 in Oakland, California to parents who emigrated from India and Jamaica.

She graduated from Howard University and the University of California, Hastings College of Law.

Her parents were activists, instilling Vice-President Harris with a strong sense of justice.

They brought her to civil rights demonstrations and introduced role models—ranging from Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall to civil rights leader Constance Baker Motley—whose work motivated her to become a prosecutor.

Growing up, Vice-President Harris was surrounded by a diverse community and extended family.

In 2014, she married Douglas Emhoff. They have a large blended family that includes their children, Ella and Cole.

Throughout her career, the Vice-President has been guided by the words she spoke the first time she stood up in court: Kamala Harris, for the people.

In 1990, she joined the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office where she specialized in prosecuting child sexual assault cases.

She then served as a managing attorney in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office and later was chief of the Division on Children and Families for the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office.

She was elected District Attorney of San Francisco in 2003. In that role, Vice President Harris created a ground-breaking program to provide first-time drug offenders with the opportunity to earn a high school degree and find employment.

The program was designated as a national model of innovation for law enforcement by the United States Department of Justice.

In 2010, Vice-President Harris was elected California’s Attorney General and oversaw the largest state justice department in the United States.

She established the state’s first Bureau of Children’s Justice and instituted several first-of-their-kind reforms that ensured greater transparency and accountability in the criminal justice system.

As Attorney General, Vice President Harris won a 20 billion US dollars settlement for Californians whose homes had been foreclosed on, as well as a 1.1 billion US dollars settlement for students and veterans who were taken advantage of by a for-profit education company.

She defended the Affordable Care Act in court, enforced environmental law, and was a national leader in the movement for marriage equality.

In 2017, Vice-President Harris was sworn into the United States Senate. In her first speech, she spoke out on behalf of immigrants and refugees.

On the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, she worked with members of both parties to keep the American people safe from foreign threats and crafted bipartisan legislation to assist in securing American elections.

As Senator, Vice-President Harris championed legislation to combat hunger, provide rent relief, improve maternal health care, and address the climate crisis as a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

On August 11, 2020, Vice- President Harris accepted President Joe Biden’s invitation to become his running mate and help unite the nation.

She is the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American to be elected Vice-President, as was the case with other offices she has held. She is, however, determined not to be the last.

As Vice- President, Kamala Harris has worked in partnership with President Joe Biden to get America vaccinated, rebuild the economy, reduce child poverty, and pass an infrastructure law that will lift up communities that have been left behind.

She has led the administration’s efforts in rallying broad coalitions to protect the freedom to vote, expand workers’ rights to organise and collectively bargain, and stand up for women’s rights — supporting women in our workforce, addressing the maternal health crisis, and defending reproductive rights.

The Vice- President has also played a key role in engaging world leaders and strengthening our nation’s alliances and partnerships. In everything she does, she remains focused on the people of our nation—and our collective future.