As Kamala Harris sets her sights on the highest office in the United States, among the many questions swirling around her candidacy is the noticeable absence of her father, Donald J. Harris, from her public life, leaving many to wonder about his whereabouts and their current relationship.
READ ALSO: THE LITTLE KNOWN STORY OF DONALD J. HARRIS, FATHER OF KAMALA HARRIS
Kamala has been thrust into the spotlight following her endorsement for President by Joe Biden in the upcoming 2024 U.S. elections. Since this endorsement, every detail about her life has become a matter of public interest, with people eager to learn more about her background, family, and heritage.
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Born on October 20, 1964, Kamala Harris is the daughter of Donald J. Harris, a Jamaican immigrant, and Shyamala Gopalan Harris, an Indian immigrant. The two met at the University of California, Berkeley, where they were both pursuing their doctorates, a story Kamala confirmed in her autobiography, The Truths We Hold.
She described how her parents “met and fell in love at Berkeley while participating in the civil rights movement.” Reflecting on her upbringing, she once posted on Instagram, “They laid the path for me, as only the second Black woman ever elected to the United States Senate.”
Her parents separated, and Kamala’s mother was granted full custody of her and her younger sister, Maya. Despite the divorce, Donald Harris maintained his commitment to his daughters.
In a 2018 essay, he recalled teaching them about their heritage by taking them to Jamaica, stating, “To this day, I continue to retain the deep social awareness and strong sense of identity which that grassroots Jamaican philosophy fed in me.” He also shared memories of a visit to Orange Hill in 1970, where he introduced his daughters to the land he once roamed as a child.
Kamala’s mother, Shyamala, passed away in 2009, leaving a significant impact on her daughters. However, it was Kamala’s response during a 2019 appearance on the radio show “The Breakfast Club” that caused tension with her father.
When asked about her views on marijuana, she quipped, “Half my family is from Jamaica. Are you kidding me?”
Her father, displeased with the remark, issued a statement through Jamaica Global Online, expressing his disapproval: “Speaking for myself and my immediate Jamaican family, we wish to categorically dissociate ourselves from this travesty,” he said.
Kamala’s team remained silent on the matter, and since then, her father has chosen to stay out of the political spotlight, opting not to engage with the media. At 85, Donald J. Harris continues to maintain a low profile, with his current relationship with Kamala remaining unclear.
Despite the complexities of their relationship, Kamala holds onto fond memories of her father. In her memoir, she recalls, “When I was a little girl, my father wanted me to run free… He would turn to my mother and say, ‘Just let her run, Shyamala.’
And then he’d turn to me and say, ‘Run, Kamala. As fast as you can. Run!’
And I would take off, the wind in my face, with the feeling that I could do anything.”
