Senator Kamala Harris - "Living Life in First Class"

Senator Kamala Harris -  "Living Life in First Class"
Author

Institute of Caribbean Studies

Release Date

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

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Kamala Harris is the junior United States senator from California. Harris replaced outgoing senator Barbara Boxer, defeating Loretta Sanchez in the 2016 U.S. Senate election. She became the third woman of color, first Indian American, and first biracial woman in the Senate.Harris is used to being first. She was California's first African American female District Attorney of San Francisco and then the first woman,Jamaican American, Asian American, Indian American, and the first African American Attorney General in California.

Harris was born in California. Her mother, a cancer Research Scientist, came from India. Her father, an Economics Professor, came from Jamaica. Harris grew up in California and Montreal, Canada where her mother took research and teaching positions. Harris graduated from high school in Montreal and then attended Howard University in Washington, DC where she majored in political science and economics. She then returned to California for law school, graduating from the University of California.

Harris started her career in the Alameda County District Attorney's office. She started as an intern and ultimately became Deputy District Attorney. She then moved to the San Francisco District Attorney's Office leading the Career Criminal Unit. She felt there was a need for new approaches to battling crime in San Francisco and challenged and won against the eight-year incumbent to become District Attorney of San Francisco. Harris wished to extend her work statewide and won her quest to become California's 32nd Attorney General, beating a popular Republican district attorney.

In the U.S. Senate, Harris is a part of the Committee on the Budget, Committee on the Environment and Public Works, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, as well as the Select Committee on Intelligence. She is also a member of Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and Caucus on Women's Issues.

Sources: kamalaharris.org, wikipedia.


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