Kamala Harris: Joe Biden's Vice Presidential Pick
August 12 from now on will be an important day in American history: for the first time, a Black woman was named as a vice-presidential candidate in the United States. It became known on Tuesday that Kamala Harris is the VP pick of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
Biden formally introduced her candidature in Wilmington, Delaware. Side by side, they will be "working together to restore the soul of the nation and fight for working families to move the country forward," according to Biden’s campaign.
Kamala Harris, the 55-year-old American Senator from California is of Indian and Jamaican descent. This background has her break another record: she is the first woman of Indian and Jamaican descent to break through the racial “glass ceiling” in US politics, reaching a position that was, for too long, considered a “whites only” territory.
It was back in March when Biden pledged he would be picking a woman for his VP choice. The police brutality against African Americans and the wide social unrest, had Biden face mounting calls to choose a black woman candidate.
While Biden himself, upon announcing her candidature for the first time through texts and emails to his followers, described Senator Harris as "a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country's finest public servants" President Trump was quick to disapprove of her, telling the reporters: "She's a person that's told many, many stories that weren't true," and calling her “one of the meanest, most horrible” people in the US Senate, according to BBC.
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama both praised her. Clinton was quoted to say that she was "thrilled to welcome [Ms. Harris] to a historic Democratic ticket". "She's already proven herself to be an incredible public servant and leader." The US former President tweeted: “She is more than prepared for the job. She's spent her career defending our Constitution and fighting for folks who need a fair shake. This is a good day for our country. Now let's go win this thing."
Senator Harris will face President Trump’s pick, Vice-President Mike Pence on 7 October in Salt Lake City, Utah in a debate.
By Nini Dakhundaridze
Source: BBC
Image source: Reuters