Kamala Harris was already a big deal when she became Vice President, but she mostly lived in Joe Biden’s shadow during his term as president. However, when Biden made the historic decision to step down from his re-election campaign, Harris emerged as an unexpected contender for the 2024 presidential election.
Correspondingly, we have been learning plenty about Kamala Harris that we have never learned before. Despite this, there are still plenty of fascinating facts about her life that her biggest supporters and her biggest haters are clueless about.
Don’t believe it? Keep reading to discover the biggest secrets about Kamala Harris!
Her name has a secret meaning
Remember when we said that everyone has suddenly been learning more about Kamala than ever before? This includes things as basic as how to pronounce her name. There have been so many explainers on that topic, in fact, that it’s easy to overlook that her name has a special significance.
Kamala’s mother Shyamala wanted her daughters to have names inspired by Hindu religion and culture. Correspondingly, “Kamala” is a Sanskrit word that translates to “lotus flower,” a powerful Indian symbol for a flower that can grow tall without ever losing its footing in the water. In said culture, Kamla can also be the name of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, and the politician’s middle name Devi is the name of a goddess of femininity.
Named after goddesses? Maybe Kamala was destined for leadership from a young age after all!
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Kamala Harris has a diverse religious background
Certain segments of the media have been confused (or, more accurately, feigned confusion) lately over basic ideas like how Kamala Harris can be part of two different cultures due to her culturally mixed and racially mixed parentage. None of this was ever confusing to Kamala herself, someone who grew up experiencing two very different religions.
Her mother, Dr. Shyamala Gopalan, would often take Kamala to Hindu temple, but she otherwise spent time in the Baptist church. These days, she identifies as a Baptist, but she married a Jewish man. All of this adds up to Kamala Harris having what few Americans do: intimate experience and knowledge of three different religions.
Honesty about drugs got her in trouble with her father
As a politician, Kamala Harris’ positions on certain topics have changed (or at least softened) over the years. For example, as California’s Attorney General, she had a reputation for cracking down on crime of all stripes, including possession and use of marijuana. But when she appeared on The Breakfast Club and was asked about her view on legalizing weed, she responded with “Half my family’s from Jamaica — are you kidding me?” She then more seriously replied that she had previously smoked marijuana, “And I did inhale.”
All of this was likely meant to impress young voters, but it angered at least one man: her father. According to The New Yorker, he issued a harsh reprimand online, writing “My deceased parents must be turning in their grave right now to see their family’s name, reputation and proud Jamaican identity being connected, in any way, jokingly or not with the fraudulent stereotype of a pot-smoking joy seeker and in the pursuit of identity politics.” Continuing, he said, “Speaking for myself and my immediate Jamaican family, we wish to categorically dissociate ourselves from this travesty.”
Sounds like Kamala’s dad is quite the buzzkill!
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How she lost–and then suddenly won–the election for California Attorney General
Many see Kamala Harris becoming California’s Attorney General as the true beginning of her ambitious political journey, one that might just culminate with her becoming President of the United States. Because of that, it’s fascinating to know that she lost that election (kind of) and only found out about her victory a few weeks later.
During this 2008 election, Kamala seemed like a longshot contender against Republican opponent Steve Cooley. But the election was very close, and when 99 percent of the votes were tallied, it was still too close to call the election. This didn’t keep Cooley from claiming that he won, and for about three weeks, that seemed to be the case. But once all the votes were tallied up, it was revealed that Kamala had beaten him by less than a single percentage point.
She’s a major shoe collector
It’s not uncommon for a career politician to have a large wardrobe. Because of that, it’s never too surprising to see the array of suits and other glamorous clothing that Kamala Harris is rocking. But check out her shoes and you might find something surprising: she is wearing Chuck Taylors more often than not.
She later confessed to The Cut that “I have a whole collection of Chuck Taylors: a black leather pair, a white pair, I have the kind that don’t lace, the kind that do lace, the kind I wear in the hot weather, the kind I wear in the cold weather, and the platform kind for when I’m wearing a pantsuit.”
A sneakerhead running for president? You love to see it!