Shyamala Gopalan (left) and Kamala Harris.Photo: Kamala Harris/Facebook
There’s one person who will be at the forefront of her mind whenKamala Harrismakes history next month as the first woman to be sworn in as vice president of the United States.
In an interviewGood Morning Americaon Wednesday, the vice-president-elect — who will also become the first Black person or person of Indian descent to hold the office — said she will “bethinking about [her] mother"on Inauguration Day.
“I’ll be thinking about all those girls and boys,” Harris, 56, toldRobin Roberts. “You know, before the pandemic struck, fathers and the mothers that would bring them around and say, ‘You know, you can do anything.’ "
“That’show I feel about this moment,” Harris said.
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Shyamala Gopalan (left), Kamala Harris.Kamala Harris/Facebook
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Harris was born in Oakland, California, in 1964, the daughter of immigrant parents. Her mother was a cancer researcher who came to the U.S. from India. Her economist father, Donald Harris, was born in Jamaica.
Growing up in California,Harris was exposed at an early ageto both activism (her parents were active in the civil rights movement) as well as the challenges of navigating racism.
“My mother understood very well that she was raising two Black daughters,” Harriswrote in her 2019 memoir,The Truths We Hold. “She knew that her adopted homeland would see Maya and me as Black girls, and she was determined to make sure we would grow into confident, proud Black women.”
Kamala Harris with mother Shyamala Gopalan Harris and sister Maya Harris.Kamala Harris/Instagram
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In her Wednesday interview withGMA, Harris said she feels “a very big sense of responsibility” in her upcoming new role, adding that her husband,Doug Emhoff(who will become the first-ever second gentleman) does, as well.
Harris also reacted to a recentcontroversialWall Street Journalop-edthat criticized incoming First Lady Jill Biden’s “Dr.” title because her doctorate is not in medicine — “When there’s anyone who tries to diminish the significance of people who work hard, I think it’s just not the American way, frankly.”
As for how she would define success over the next four years, Harris told Roberts, 60, that it would go hand in hand with the success of President-electJoe Biden.
“Joe and I were elected to do a job, which is to build back better and to fight for the best of who we are as a nation,” she said. “And he and I as partners, if we are able to do that together, I think our country will be the better for it.”
source: people.com
