HARRIS IN-HOUSE
Senator Kamala Harris makes history as first female vice president Abigail Parker | Copy Editor
K
amala Harris has come to break through multiple barriers in the federal government by assuming the position of vice president. She is not only the first female vice president,
but also the first African American and South Asian American.
Harris was appointed as a deputy district attorney for her hometown, Oakland, from 1990 until 1998, where she prosecuted cases that involved drug trafficking, sexual abuse and gang violence.
Harris became the district attorney for the city and county of San Francisco. During this time, she started a program that helped first-time drug offenders earn their high school diplomas and find jobs.
She was elected as the attorney general of California, and was the first African American and first female to hold this position. She prosecuted trafficking gangs, defended climate change laws and won a $25 billion settlement for homeowners struck by the foreclosure crisis.
She was elected to the position of California senator, making her the second African American female and first South Asian American to serve in the Senate. Harris provided financial relief for those facing rising housing costs and supported a single-payer healthcare system.
In January, Harris announced in an interview with “Good Morning America� that she would run for president in the 2020 election. However, in December Harris explained in an email to her supporters that her funds fell short and she dropped out of the race.
Three months before the election, President-Elect Joe Biden announced that Harris would be his running mate for vice president. Four days after the 2020 presidential election, Biden was elected as the president of the United States, making Harris the vice president.
Images courtesy of Creative Commons
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