Harris was born in Oakland and lived in neighboring Berkeley, where her parents studied at the University of California, Berkeley, until she was 12 years old. She served as San Francisco district attorney, and California attorney general, before becoming the state’s junior senator.
Harris has frequently cited her experiences growing up in the Bay Area as foundational in her political career, including being bussed into wealthier white schools as part of an integration program. On Wednesday, residents of the region proudly watched her ascend to one of the highest offices in the land.
An Oakland-Scranton “Unity” flag, designed by Oakland artist Favianna Rodriguez and Ryan Hnat from Joe Biden’s home town of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was hoisted into the heavy gusts the day before the inauguration.
After half a century as a senator and vice president, Biden assumes the presidency at a time when the country faces health, economic and societal crises.
Among a small group watching from the VIP section were fellow trailblazers, including President Obama, the first and only Black president, and his wife, Michelle Obama, and Hillary Clinton, the first woman to win a major party’s presidential nomination. Harris’ family, including her two adult stepchildren and her sister, Maya, stood nearby the most diverse family ever to reach the national political stage.
“Watching this with my 6-year-old daughter, who has known Kamala her whole life, is more moving than I thought it would be,” said Laphonza Butler, a former senior aide to Harris. “To see Maya in the background, to see Doug standing with pride, makes me think of the sacrifices of so many, past and present, on whose shoulders she stands.”
Californians in Oakland and Bakersfield, two regions with starkly different politics, take stock of the political landscape in the run-up to President-elect Biden's inauguration.
Bay Area businesses honor Oakland s Kamala Harris with ice cream, dishes
Bay Area businesses celebrate Kamala Harris’ inauguration with menu items
Bay Area businesses are showing their pride for native politician and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who will be inaugurated this week. She s getting some special menu and food items in her honor.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Bay Area businesses are finding ways to honor the incoming Vice President Kamala Harris, an East Bay native, with special Inauguration Day treats and menu items.
At Oakland s Jack London Square, the Home of Chicken and Waffles restaurant is doing a special called the Kamala, a home-style dinner named for their favorite hometown politician. Harris is like a cousin to the restaurant s founder Derreck Johnson, who has known Harris since he was 16 years old.