Kamala Harris’ Racial Background Continues to Spark Debate Among Critics – Why?

Since Kamala Harris announced her bid for president after Joe Biden chose to exit the race, there has been much speculation about her race.  Many of her critics have accused her of not being Black, a grossly inaccurate talking point. 

Harris, a Howard University graduate born in Oakland, California, has long been vocal about her ethnicity.  Her father, Stanford University professor Donald Harris, was born in Jamaica, while her mother, scientist Shyamala Gopalan, immigrated to the U.S. from India.  However, Harris has long identified herself as such while embracing both of her parent’s cultures. 

Leaving this here for the “She doesn’t consider herself Black” #Bots …. What else ya’ll got? pic.twitter.com/MJsBQ2Uf1L

— the Old Man Ebro (@oldmanebro) July 24, 2024

During his controversial panel with the National Association of Black Journalists last week, Donald Trump alleged, “I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black, and now, she wants to be known as Black.”

However, one cannot simply “turn Black.” The generalized term refers to persons of any country and background who are of African descent.  Additionally, being Black refers to a shared cultural heritage, complexion, and historical experience, among other factors.  According to the Pew Research Center, in 2019, 46.8 million people in the U.S. identified as Black, “either alone or as part of a multiracial or ethnic background.” As someone of a diverse heritage, Harris would absolutely be classified as a Black woman.

The Census defines “African-Americans” as “having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.” This is largely thanks to their African ancestors being forced into America as slaves centuries ago.  Per the Minority Rights Group, the majority of the Jamaican population is of West African descent.  Therefore, Harris would technically be classified as an African-American, thanks to her multiracial identity.  

The rich diversity of the Black experience, both domestically and globally, is something Harris is well-versed in and can undoubtedly enlighten her colleagues and non-Black voters on this subject.