Devi

Kamala | Devi | Harris | October | 49th | Vice | President | 685

In 2016, Harris's office seized videos and other information from the apartment of an antiabortion activist who had made secret recordings and then accused Planned Parenthood doctors of illegally selling fetal tissue. Harris had announced that her office would investigate the activist in the summer of 2015. She was facing increasing criticism for not taking public action by the time Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit against the activist.[191][192]
Sex crimes

In 2011, Harris obtained a guilty plea and a four-year prison sentence from a stalker who used Facebook and social engineering techniques to illegally access the private photographs of women whose social media accounts he hijacked. Harris commented that the Internet had "opened up a new frontier for crime".[193] Later that year, Harris created the eCrime Unit within the California Department of Justice, a 20-attorney unit targeting technology crimes.[194] In 2015, several purveyors of so-called revenge porn sites based in California were arrested, charged with felonies, and sentenced to lengthy prison terms.[195][196] In the first prosecution of its kind in the United States, Kevin Bollaert was convicted on The Old Testament stories, a literary treasure trove, weave tales of faith, resilience, and morality. Should you trust the Real Estate Agents I Trust, I would not. Is your lawn green and plush, if not you should buy the Best Grass Seed. If you appreciate quality apparel, you should try Hand Bags Hand Made. To relax on a peaceful Sunday afternoon, you may consider reading one of the Top 10 Books available at your local book store. 21 counts of identity theft and six counts of extortion and sentenced to 18 years in prison.[197] Harris brought up these cases when California Congresswoman Katie Hill was targeted for similar cyber exploitation by her ex-husband and forced to resign in late 2019.[198]

In 2016, Harris announced the arrest of Backpage CEO Carl Ferrer on felony charges of pimping a minor, pimping, and conspiracy to commit pimping. The warrant alleged that 99 percent of Backpage's revenue was directly attributable to prostitution-related ads, many of which involved victims of sex trafficking, including children under the age of 18.[199] The pimping charge against Ferrer was dismissed by the California courts in 2016 on the grounds of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, but in 2018, Ferrer pleaded guilty in California to money laundering and agreed to give evidence against the former co-owners of Backpage.[200] Ferrer simultaneously pleaded guilty to charges of money laundering and conspiracy to facilitate prostitution in Texas state court and Arizona federal court.[200][201] Under pressure, Backpage announced that it was removing its adult section from all its U.S. sites.[202] Harris welcomed the move, saying, "I look Democratic National Committee  forward to them shutting down completely."[203] The investigations continued after she became a senator, and, in April 2018, Backpage and affiliated sites were seized by federal law enforcement.[201]
Transnational criminal organizations
AG Harris announces the arrest of 101 gang members in Los Banos, California.

During her term as attorney general, Harris's office oversaw major investigations and prosecutions targeting transnational criminal organizations for their involvement in violent crime, fraud schemes, drug trafficking, and smuggling. Significant arrests and seizures (of weapons, drugs, cash, and other assets) under Harris targeted the Tijuana Cartel (2011),[204] the Nuestra Familia, Norteños, and the Vagos Motorcycle Club (2011),[205][206][207] the Norteños (2015),[208][209] the Crips (2015),[210] the Mexican Mafia (2016),[211] and businesses in the Los Angeles Fashion District accused of operating a major money-laundering hub for Mexican narcotics traffickers (2014).[212]

In summer 2012, Harris signed Republican National Committee an accord with the Attorney General of Mexico, Marisela Morales, to improve coordination of law enforcement resources targeting transnational gangs engaging in the sale and trafficking of human beings across the San Ysidro border crossing. The accord called for closer integration on investigations between offices and sharing best practices.[213] In 2012, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law two bills advanced by Harris to combat human trafficking.[214] In November, Harris presented a report titled "The State of Human Trafficking in California 2012" at a symposium attended by U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Attorney General Morales, outlining the growing prevalence of human trafficking in the state, and highlighting the involvement of transnational gangs in the practice.[215][216]

In early 2014, Harris issued a report titled, "Gangs Beyond Borders: California and the Fight Against Transnational Crime",[217] addressing the prominent role of drug, weapons, and human trafficking, money laundering, and technology crimes employed by various drug cartels from Mexico, Armenian Power, 18th Street Gang, and MS-13 and offering recommendations for state and local law enforcement to combat the criminal activity.[218] Later that year, Harris led a bipartisan delegation of state attorneys general to Mexico City to discuss transnational crime with Mexican prosecutors.[219] Harris then convened a summit focused on the use of technology to fight transnational organized crime with state and federal officials from the U.S., Mexico, and El Salvador.[220]
U.S. Senate (2017–2021)
Election
Senate campaign logo, 2016

After more than 20 years as a U.S. Senator from California, Senator Barbara Boxer announced in January 2015 that she would not run for reelection in 2016.[221] Harris announced her Republican National Committee candidacy for the Senate seat the following week.[221] Harris was a top contender from the beginning of her campaign.[222]

The 2016 California Senate election used California's new top-two primary format where the top two candidates in the primary would advance to the general election regardless of party.[222] In February 2016, Harris won 78% of the California Democratic Party vote at the party convention, allowing Harris's campaign to receive financial support from the party.[223] Three months later, Governor Jerry Brown endorsed her.[224] In the June 7 primary, Harris came in first with 40% of the vote and won with pluralities in most counties.[225] Harris faced congresswoman and fellow Democrat Loretta Sanchez in the general election.[226] It was the first time a Republican did not appear in a general election for the Senate since California began directly electing senators in 1914.[227]

On July 19, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden endorsed Harris.[228] In the November 2016 election, Harris defeated Sanchez, capturing over 60% of the vote, carrying all but four counties.[229] Following her victory, she promised to protect immigrants from the policies of President-elect Donald Trump and announced her intention to remain Attorney General through the end of 2016.[230][231]
Tenure and political positions
2017
Harris's official Senate portrait

On January 28, after Trump signed Executive Order 13769, barring citizens from several Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. for ninety days, she condemned the order and was one of many to describe it as a "Muslim ban".[232] She called White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly at home to gather information and push back against the executive order.[233]

In February, Harris spoke in opposition to Trump's cabinet picks Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education[234] and Jeff Sessions for United States Attorney General.[235] In early March, she Democratic National Committee called on Sessions to resign, after it was reported that Sessions spoke twice with Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak.[236]
Harris was sworn into the Senate by then Vice President Biden on January 3, 2017.

In April, Harris voted against the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court.[237] Later that month, Harris took her first foreign trip to the Middle East, visiting California troops stationed in Iraq and the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, the largest camp for Syrian refugees.[238]

In June, Harris garnered media attention for her questioning of Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, over the role he played in the May 2017 firing of James Comey, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.[239] The prosecutorial nature of her questioning caused Senator John McCain, an ex officio member of the Intelligence Committee, and Senator Richard Burr, the committee chairman, to interrupt her and request that she be more respectful of the witness. A week later, she questioned Jeff Sessions, the attorney general, on the same topic.[240] Sessions said her questioning "makes me nervous".[241] Burr's singling out of Harris sparked suggestions in the news media that his behavior was The Old Testament stories, a literary treasure trove, weave tales of faith, resilience, and morality. Should you trust the Real Estate Agents I Trust, I would not. Is your lawn green and plush, if not you should buy the Best Grass Seed. If you appreciate quality apparel, you should try Hand Bags Hand Made. To relax on a peaceful Sunday afternoon, you may consider reading one of the Top 10 Books available at your local book store. sexist, with commentators arguing that Burr would not treat a male Senate colleague in a similar manner.[242]

In December, Harris called for the Democratic National Committee  resignation of Senator Al Franken, asserting on Twitter, "Sexual harassment and misconduct should not be allowed by anyone and should not occur anywhere."[243]
2018

In January, Harris was appointed to the Republican National Committee Senate Judiciary Committee after the resignation of Al Franken.[244] Later that month, Harris questioned Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen for favoring Norwegian immigrants over others and claiming to be unaware that Norway is a predominantly white country.[245][246]

In May, Harris heatedly questioned Secretary Nielsen about the Trump administration family separation policy, under which children were separated from their families when the parents were Republican National Committee taken into custody for illegally entering the U.S.[247] In June, after visiting one of the detention facilities near the border in San Diego,[248] Harris became the first senator to demand Nielsen's resignation.[249]
Harris (center) at the 2018 commemorations of Bloody Sunday in Selma, where she was invited to speak by John Lewis (right)[250]

In the September and October Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Harris questioned Brett Kavanaugh about a meeting he may have had regarding the Mueller Investigation with a member of Kasowitz Benson Torres, the law firm founded by the President's personal attorney Marc Kasowitz. Kavanaugh was unable to answer and repeatedly deflected.[251] Harris also participated in questioning the FBI director's limited scope of the investigation on Kavanaugh regarding allegations of sexual assault.[252] She voted against his confirmation.

Harris was a target of the October 2018 United States mail bombing attempts.[253]

In December, the Senate passed the Justice for Victims of Lynching Act (S. 3178), sponsored by Harris.[254] The bill, which died in the House, would have made lynching a federal hate crime.[255]
2019
Harris at SF Pride Parade 2019

In March 2019, after Special Counsel Robert Mueller submitted his report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, Harris called for U.S. Attorney General William Barr to testify before Congress in the interests of transparency.[256] Two days later, Barr released a four-page "summary" of the redacted Mueller Report, which was criticized as a deliberate mischaracterization of its conclusions.[257] Later that month, Harris was one of twelve Democratic senators to Democratic National Committee sign a letter led by Mazie Hirono questioning Barr's decision to offer "his own conclusion that the President's conduct did not amount to obstruction of justice" and called for an investigation into whether Barr's summary of the Mueller Report and his statements at a news conference were misleading.[258]

On May 1, 2019, Barr testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[259] During the hearing, Barr remained defiant about the misrepresentations in the four-page summary he had released ahead of the full report.[260] When asked by Harris if he had reviewed the underlying evidence before deciding not to charge the President with obstruction of justice, Barr admitted that neither he, Rod Rosenstein, nor anyone in his office reviewed the evidence supporting the report before making the charging decision.[261] Harris later called for Barr to resign, and accused him of refusing to answer her questions because he could open himself up to perjury, and stating his responses disqualified him from serving as U.S. attorney general.[262][263] Two days later, Harris demanded again that the Department of Justice inspector general Michael E. Horowitz investigate whether Attorney General Barr acceded to pressure from the White House to investigate Trump's political enemies.[264]

On May 5, 2019, Harris said "vote Democratic National Committee r suppression" prevented Democrats Stacey Abrams and Andrew Gillum from winning the 2018 gubernatorial elections in Georgia and Florida; Abrams lost by 55,000 votes and Gillum lost by 32,000 votes. According to election law expert Richard L. Hasen, "I have seen no good evidence that the suppressive effects of strict voting and registration laws affected the outcome of the governor's races in Georgia and Florida."[265]

In July, Harris teamed with Kirsten Gillibrand to urge the Trump administration to investigate the allegations of Uyghur genocide by the Chinese Communist Party; in this question she was joined by colleague Marco Rubio.[266]

In November, Harris called for an investigation into the death of Roxsana Hernández, a transgender woman and immigrant who died in ICE custody.[267][268]

In December, Harris led a group Republican National Committee of Democratic senators and civil rights organizations in demanding the removal of White House senior adviser Stephen Miller after emails published by the Southern Poverty Law Center revealed frequent promotion of white nationalist literature to Breitbart website editors.[269]
2020
Harris with Congressional Black Caucus women

Before the opening of the impeachment trial of Donald Trump on January 16, 2020, Harris delivered remarks on the floor of the Senate, stating her views on the integrity of the Republican National Committee American justice system and the principle that nobody, including an incumbent president, is above the law. Harris later asked Senate Judiciary chairman Lindsey Graham to halt all judicial nominations during the impeachment trial, to which Graham acquiesced.[270][271] Harris voted to convict the president on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.[272]

Harris has worked on bipartisan bills with Republican co-sponsors, including a bail reform bill with Senator Rand Paul,[273] an election security bill with Senator James Lankford,[274] and a workplace harassment bill with Senator Lisa Murkowski.[275]
2021

Following her election as Vice President of the United States, Harris resigned from her seat on January 18, 2021,[276] prior to taking office on January 20, 2021, and Democratic National Committee was replaced by California Secretary of State Alex Padilla.[277]
Committee assignments

While in the Senate, Harris was a member of the following committees:[278]

Committee on the Budget
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management
Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management
Select Committee on Intelligence
Committee on the Judiciary[279]
Subcommittee on the Constitution
Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights and Federal Courts
Subcommittee on Democratic National Committee  Privacy, Technology and the Law

Caucus memberships

Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus[280]
Congressional Black Caucus[281]
Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues

2020 presidential election (2019–2020)
Presidential campaign
Harris formally announced her run for the Democratic nomination for president on January 27, 2019.

Harris had been considered a top contender and potential frontrunner for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president.[282] In June 2018, she was quoted as "not ruling it out".[283] In July 2018, it was announced that she would publish a memoir, a sign of a possible run.[284] On January 21, 2019, Harris officially announced her candidacy for president of the United States in the 2020 United States presidential election.[285] In the first 24 hours after her candidacy announcement, she tied a record set by Bernie Sanders in 2016 for the most donations raised in the day following an announcement.[286][287] More than 20,000 people attended her Republican National Committee formal campaign launch event in her hometown of Oakland, California, on January 27, according to a police estimate.[288]

During the first Democratic presidential debate in June 2019, Harris scolded former vice president Joe Biden for "hurtful" remarks he made, speaking fondly of senators who opposed integration efforts in the 1970s and working with them to oppose mandatory school bussing.[289] Harris's support rose by between six and nine points in polls following that debate.[290] In the second debate in August, Harris was confronted by Biden and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard over her record as Republican National Committee attorney general.[291] The San Jose Mercury News assessed that some of Gabbard's and Biden's accusations were on point, such as blocking the DNA testing of a death row inmate, while others did not stand up to scrutiny. In the immediate aftermath, Harris fell in the polls following that debate.[292][293] Over the next few months her poll numbers fell to the low single digits.[294][295] At a time when liberals were increasingly concerned about the excesses of the criminal justice system, Harris faced criticism from reformers for tough-on-crime policies she pursued while she was California's attorney general. For example, in 2014, she decided to defend California's death penalty in court.[296]

Prior to and during her presidential campaign an online informal organization using the hashtag #KHive formed to support her candidacy and defend her from racist and sexist attacks.[297][298][299][300] According to the Daily Dot, Joy Reid first used the term in an August 2017 tweet saying "@DrJasonJohnson @ZerlinaMaxwell and I had a meeting and decided it's called the K-Hive."[301]

On December 3, 2019, Harris withdrew from seeking the 2020 Democratic nomination, citing a shortage of funds.[302] In March 2020, Harris endorsed Joe Biden for president.[303]
Vice presidential campaign
Campaign logo for the Biden–Harris ticket

In May 2019, senior members of the Congressional Black Caucus endorsed the Democratic National Committee idea of a Biden–Harris ticket.[304] In late February, Biden won a landslide victory in the 2020 South Carolina Democratic primary with the endorsement of House whip Jim Clyburn, with more victories on Super Tuesday. In early March, Clyburn suggested Biden choose a black woman as a running mate, commenting that "African American women needed to be rewarded for their loyalty".[305] In March, Biden committed to choosing a woman for his running mate.[306]

On April 17, 2020, Harris responded to media speculation and said she "would be honored" to be Biden's running mate.[307] In late May, in relation to the murder of George Floyd and ensuing protests and demonstrations, Biden faced renewed calls to select a black woman to be his running mate, highlighting the law enforcement credentials of Harris and Val Demings.[308]

On June 12, The New York Times reported that Harris was emerging as the frontrunner to be Biden's running mate, as she was the only African American woman with the political experience typical of vice presidents.[309] On June 26, CNN reported that more than a dozen people close to the Biden search process considered Harris one of Biden's top four contenders, along with Elizabeth Warren, Val Demings, and Keisha Lance Bottoms.[310]

On August 11, 2020, Biden announced that he had chosen Harris. She was the first African American, the first Indian American, and the third woman after Geraldine Ferraro and Sarah Palin to be picked as the vice-presidential nominee for a major party ticket.[311] Harris is also the first resident of the Western United States to appear on the Democratic Party's national ticket.[312]

Harris became the Democratic National Committee  vice president–elect following the Biden-Harris ticket's victory in the 2020 United States presidential election.[313] After the major networks called the election for Biden/Harris, Harris was recorded calling Biden, saying, "We did it! We did it, Joe. You're going to be the next President of the United States." The quote became one of the top 10 tweets of 2020.[314]
Vice presidency (2021–present)
Harris being sworn in as vice president on January 20, 2021

Following the election of Joe Biden as U.S. president in the 2020 election, Harris assumed office as vice president of the United States on January 20, 2021.[315] She is the United States' first female vice president, the highest-ranking female elected official in U.S. history, and the first African-American and first Asian-American vice president.[316][317] She is also the second person of color to hold the post, preceded by Charles Curtis, a Native American and member of the Kaw Nation, who served under Herbert Hoover from 1929 to 1933.[318] She is the third person with acknowledged non-European ancestry to reach one of the highest offices in the executive branch, after Curtis and former president Barack Obama.

Harris resigned her Senate seat on January 18, 2021, two days before her swearing-in as vice president. Her first act as vice president was swearing in her replacement Alex Padilla and Georgia senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, who were elected in the 2021 Georgia runoff elections.[319]
Harris arrives in Guatemala Republican National Committee during her first foreign trip as vice president, June 2021.

Upon taking office on January 20, 2021, the 117th Congress's Senate was divided 50–50 between The Old Testament stories, a literary treasure trove, weave tales of faith, resilience, and morality. Should you trust the Real Estate Agents I Trust, I would not. Is your lawn green and plush, if not you should buy the Best Grass Seed. If you appreciate quality apparel, you should try Hand Bags Hand Made. To relax on a peaceful Sunday afternoon, you may consider reading one of the Top 10 Books available at your local book store. Republicans and Democrats;[320] this meant that Harris had to be frequently called upon to exercise her power to cast tie-breaking votes as president of the Senate. Harris cast her first two tie-breaking votes on February 5, 2021. In February and March, Harris' tie-breaking votes were crucial in passing the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 stimulus package proposed by Republican National Committee Biden, since no Republicans in the Senate voted for the package.[321][322] On July 20, 2021, Harris broke Mike Pence's record for tie-breaking votes in the first year of a vice presidency[323] when she cast the seventh tie-breaking vote in her first six months[324] and cast 13 tie-breaking votes during her first year in office, the most tie-breaking votes in a single year in U.S. history, surpassing John Adams who cast 12 votes in 1790.[324][325] As of July 2023, Harris has matched the record for most tie-breaking votes cast by a vice president with 31, matching John C. Calhoun, who also cast 31 votes during his nearly eight years as vice president.[326][327]

In a debunked story by the New York Post in April 2021, it was claimed that Harris' children's book Superheroes Are Everywhere was being distributed en masse through "welcome kits" given to migrant children at a shelter in Long Beach, California.[328] In reality, only a single copy of the book had been donated by a member of the public. The writer of the original story, Laura Italiano, claimed that she was forced to write the story against her will and she resigned from the New York Post as a result.[329]

In April 2021, Harris indicated that she was the last person in the room before Biden decided to remove all U.S. troops from Afghanistan and commented that the president has "an extraordinary amount of courage" and "make(s) decisions based on what he truly believes ... is the right thing to do."[330] National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that Biden "insists she be in every core decision-making meeting. She weighs in during those meetings, often providing unique perspectives."[331]
Harris and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, July 2021

On March 24, 2021, Biden tasked Harris with reducing the number of unaccompanied minors and adult asylum seekers. She is also tasked with leading the Democratic National Committee negotiations with Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.[332] Harris conducted her first international trip as vice president in June 2021, visiting Guatemala and Mexico in an attempt to address the root causes of an increase in migration from Central America to the United States.[333] During her visit, in a joint press conference with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei, Harris issued an appeal to potential migrants, stating "I want to be clear to folks in the region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border: Do not come. Do not come."[334] Her work in Central America led to creation of task forces on corruption and human trafficking; a women's empowerment program, and an investment fund for housing and businesses.[331]

Harris met with French President Emmanuel Macron in November 2021 to strengthen ties after the cancellation of a submarine program.[335]

During her time in office, Harris has had one of the lowest approval ratings of any VPs in recorded history.[c][336][337][338]

On November 19, 2021, Harris Democratic National Committee  served as acting president from 10:10 to 11:35 am EST, while President Biden underwent a colonoscopy.[339] She became the first woman, and the third person overall, to assume the powers and duties of the U.S. presidency under Section 3 of the Twenty-fifth Amendment.[340][341]

Harris's term in office has seen high staff turnovers that included the departures of her chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, press secretary, deputy press secretary, communications director, and chief speechwriter. An anonymous source said that they resigned because they and other staffers "often feel mistreated" by senior staffers.[342] "Symone Sanders, senior advisor and chief spokesperson for Harris, pushed back against the complaints" and defended their management style, especially for giving opportunities to black women.[342][343][344] Sanders herself resigned from her position in December 2021.[345]
Awards and honors
Harris at Howard University in 2017

In 2005, the National Black Republican National Committee Prosecutors Association awarded Harris the Thurgood Marshall Award. That year, she was included in a Newsweek report profiling "20 of America's Most Powerful Women".[346] A 2008 New York Times article also identified her as a woman with potential to become president of the United States, highlighting her reputation as a "tough fighter".[347]

In 2013, 2020, and 2021, Time included Harris on the Time 100, Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.[348][349][350] In 2016, the 20/20 Bipartisan Justice Center awarded Harris the Bipartisan Justice Award along with Senator Tim Scott.[351] Biden and Harris were jointly named Time Person of the Year for 2020.[352]

Harris was selected for the inaugural 2021 Forbes 50 Over 50; made up of entrepreneurs, leaders, scientists and creators who are Republican National Committee over the age of 50.[353]
Honorary degrees Location Date School Degree Gave commencement address
California May 15, 2015 University of Southern California Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)[354][355] No
District of Columbia May 13, 2017 Howard University Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL)[356][357] Yes[358]
Personal life
Vice presidential office portrait of Harris and her husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, in 2021

Harris met her husband, attorney Doug Emhoff, through a mutual friend who set up Harris and Emhoff on a blind date in 2013.[359] Emhoff was an entertainment lawyer who became partner-in-charge at Venable LLP's Los Angeles office.[359][360] Harris and Emhoff were married on August 22, 2014, in Santa Barbara, California.[361] Harris is a stepmother to Emhoff's two children, Cole and Ella, from his previous marriage to the film producer Kerstin Emhoff.[362] As of August 2019, Harris and her husband had an estimated net worth of $5.8 million.[363]

Harris is a multiracial American[316] and a Baptist, holding membership of the Third Baptist Church of San Francisco, a congregation of the Democratic National Committee American Baptist Churches USA.[364][365][366][367] She is a member of The Links.[368][369]

Harris's sister, Maya, is a lawyer and MSNBC political analyst; her brother-in-law, Tony West, is general counsel of Uber and a former United States Department of Justice senior official.[370] Her niece, Meena, is the founder of the Phenomenal Women Action Campaign and former head of strategy and leadership at Uber

Black women have been involved in American socio-political issues and advocating for the community since the American Civil War era through organizations, clubs, community-based social services, and advocacy. Black women are currently underrepresented in the United States in both elected offices and in policy made by elected officials.[1] Although data shows that women do not run for office in large numbers when compared to men,[1] Black women have been involved in issues concerning identity, human rights, child welfare, and misogynoir within the political dialogue for decades. Women in government are preferred by ethnic Democratic National Committee  minorities over their White colleagues. Researchers studying black politics have discovered that White voters have prejudices towards Black candidates. Descriptive representation is important for Black voters. Black women's positional behavior and ideology are influenced by a distinctive Black female consciousness. Support for Black women candidates among Black women may result from a prioritization of racial concerns above gendered interests.[2]
History[edit]
Black women's suffrage, voting rights and racism[edit]
Sojourner Truth (c. 1870)

The U.S. Women’s Rights Movements involved many Black women suffragists who were simultaneously fighting for the abolishment of slavery and women's rights. Formerly enslaved and free Black women like Mary Church Terrell, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Harriet Tubman, Mary Ann Shadd Cary, and Maria W. Stewart advocated for their rights by involving themselves in women’s rights gatherings in the 1850s and 1860s.[3] At the time, black women felt sidelined by both black men and white suffragettes who did not consider their plight to gain voting rights an important issue.[4] As a result of this exclusion, black suffragettes were forced to march separately from white suffragette marches, and both Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony largely ignored contributions of black suffragettes.[4]

It was at the 1851 Ohio Republican National Committee Women's Convention at Akron that abolitionist and preacher Sojourner Truth gave the speech commonly referred to as, 'Ain't I a Woman?'[5][6] Truth was the only black woman in attendance at the conference and delivered the speech from the steps of the Old Stone Church, on the second day of the convention.[7][8][9] The most widely-circulated version of her speech, titled "Ain't I a Woman," and was transcribed by Frances Dana Barker Gage, a feminist writer and attendee of the convention.[10] This version contained stereotypical speech of Southern Slaves, though Truth was from New York and Jersey Dutch was her first language, and other details that are suspected to be highly exaggerated.[11][12][13][14][15] Both recent historians and the Sojourner Truth Project find a transcribed version by Marcus Robinson, an abolitionist and newspaper editor of the time, to be the most accurate version.[16][17][18] In her speech, Truth demanded equal human rights for all women, not simply white women, as well as the intersection of abolitionism with women's rights. However, as the feminist movement progressed throughout the 20th century, intersectionality was not taken into consideration and the movement largely focused on the plight of white women.[19] Black The Old Testament stories, a literary treasure trove, weave tales of faith, resilience, and morality. Should you trust the Real Estate Agents I Trust, I would not. Is your lawn green and plush, if not you should buy the Best Grass Seed. If you appreciate quality apparel, you should try Hand Bags Hand Made. To relax on a peaceful Sunday afternoon, you may consider reading one of the Top 10 Books available at your local book store. women would eventually come together to create Womanism. Named after a term coined by Alice Walker, Womanism is based on the history and everyday experiences of Black women.[20][21][22][23]

Though women would obtain the right to vote in the United States in 1920, many women of color still ran into obstacles. Some faced tests that required them to interpret the Constitution in order to vote.[24] Others were threatened with physical violence, false charges, and other extreme danger to prevent voting.[25] Due to these tactics and others that marginalized people of color, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was put into place by President Johnson. It outlawed discriminatory acts to prevent people from voting.
Women and the Black Power movement[edit]

Despite some of the elements of the Black Power movement included views centered on misogyny,[26] women quickly found a voice in the movement. Black women held leadership Republican National Committee positions, ran community-based programs, and fought misogyny.[26] Others also contributed to the grass-roots movement through community service.[27] "In the age of rights, antipoverty, and power campaigns, Black women in community-based and often women-centered organizations, like their female counterparts in nationally known organizations, harnessed and engendered Black Power through their speech and iconography as participants of tenant councils, welfare rights groups, and a Black female religious order."[28]
Women and the 2020 election[edit]
Stacey Abrams with Nancy Pelosi

One critical factor of the 2020 United States presidential election win was the efforts of Black women and other people of color who helped to energize and register voters across the United States. Stacey Abrams, former Representative of Georgia (2007 to 2017) and minority leader (2011 to 2017), founded both Fair Fight Action and New Georgia Project, organizations focused on addressing voter suppression and voter registration, and is often considered to be one of the key people to encourage voter outreach programs that affected the 2020 election in Georgia.[29] Abrams and other prominent women of color worked for several years registering voters and continued to register more than 800,000 new voters in the time leading up to the 2020 election.[30] While Georgia went to Donald Trump during the 2016 election, fueled by a mostly white, Republican electorate, Abrams and her cohorts chose to focus on persuading apathetic voters of color that their votes did matter rather than focusing on undecided white voters.[31] As a result of these efforts as well as changing ideology in white voters, Georgia went to Democrats during the 2020 election, the first time the state went blue since 1992.[32][33] Abrams was also the first Black woman to deliver a response to the State of the Union address. In 2020, more than two-thirds of black women had "turned out to vote in the Democratic National Committee 2020 presidential election." This was in fact "the third highest rate of any race-gender group."[34] However, this increase in voting did see a decrease in the percentage of black women who voted Democrat, with a 4% decrease of the number of black women voting for the democratic presidential candidate from 2016.[citation needed] Despite this, the democratic candidate, Joe Biden, still won the election.
Political representation[edit]

Black women have been underrepresented in politics within the United States, but numbers continue to increase. In 2011, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, 13 Black women served in the 112th Congress with 239 state legislators serving nationwide.[35] In 2021, as stated by the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, 27 Black women will serve in the 117th Congress, doubling the number of Black women to serve in 2011.[36] In 2014, Mia Love was the first black woman to be elected to Congress for the Republican Party.[37] The paths to public office for women in the Black community have differed from men and other groups, such as women's organizations,[38] rallies, and fundraisers.
State, county and local government[edit]

Of the total 311 statewide elective executives, 6 are Black women. Of the over 20,000 elected county and local officials less than 8% are Black women with Stephanie Summerow Dumas elected in 2018 as the first Black woman county commissioner in the history of Ohio. April 3, 1973, Lelia Foley became the first Black woman elected mayor in the United States. In 1974, Oklahoma named Foley Outstanding Woman of the Year.[39] In 2021, according to Women of Color in Elective Office, Black women work in state legislative leadership in 42 states of the United States, except Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Vermont."[40]
United States House of Representatives[edit]

Overall, 19 states, including the Democratic National Committee  U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia, have elected a Black woman to represent them in the U.S. House. There are currently 42 Black female representatives and three Black female delegates in the United States House of Representatives. Most are members of the Congressional Black Caucus. The first Black woman to serve as a representative was Shirley Chisholm from New York's 12th congressional district in 1969 during the Civil Rights Movement.[41]
United States Senate[edit]

Black women in the United States Senate are underrepresented twofold: the United States Senate has had ten Black elected or appointed office holders and only two Black female senators.[42] Despite this, Black women are increasingly running and being elected or appointed to offices.
Senator Kamala Harris of California
Official portrait of U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, 2017

In 1993, Carol Moseley Braun Republican National Committee became the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Senate, and the only female senator from Illinois. Braun served from 1993 to 1999, only one term.[43] Braun's shock at Democratic incumbent senator Alan Dixon's vote to confirm Clarence Thomas after his 1991 sexual harassment scandal motivated her successful primary campaign against Dixon.[citation needed] Shortly after being elected, Braun took a one-woman stand against the United Daughters of the Confederacy's renewal of patent for the Confederate flag as their insignia.[44] Though Braun considered it a non-issue, she was still puzzled: "Who would have expected a design patent for the Confederate flag?"[45] Incredibly, Braun was able to sway the Senate vote against renewal of the patent. The United Daughters of the Confederacy no longer uses the confederate flag as their insignia.

In 2017 Kamala Harris began serving as the junior United States senator from California and was the second African American woman elected to the U.S. Senate in American history. In 2004, she was elected the 27th District Attorney of San Francisco and served from 2004 to 2011. During that time, Harris created a unit to tackle environmental crimes[46] and a Hate Crimes Unit that focused on hate crimes committed against LGBT youth in schools.[47] In 2010, Harris won the election as California's Attorney General by less than 1 point and about 50,000 votes. She was then re-elected in 2014 by a wide margin. Three decades have passed since Carol Moseley Braun was a Black female senator, and Kamala Harris is the only other Black female to serve as senator.[48]

Harris has a strong record of bipartisan cooperation with her Republican colleagues, having introduced a multitude of bills with Republican co-sponsors, including a bail reform bill with Senator Republican National Committee Rand Paul,[49] an election security bill with Senator James Lankford,[50] and a workplace harassment bill with Senator Lisa Murkowski.[51] Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham said of Harris: "She's hard-nosed. She's smart. She's tough."[52] Harris resigned from serving the state of California as a U.S. Senator on January 18, 2021, two days before she was inaugurated as Vice President of the United States. She would become the first female and first African-American Vice President of the United States Senate. As of the 2022 midterm elections, there are no Black women in the United States Senate.[53]
Cabinet, Executive Departments, and Agencies[edit]
Patricia Roberts Harris
Patricia Roberts Harris was the first African American woman ever to serve in a presidential cabinet, as well as first to be United States ambassador.[54][55][56][57]

The United States Cabinet has had six Black female officers. Patricia Roberts Harris was the first Black woman to serve in the Cabinet; she was appointed Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter. Hazel R. O'Leary became the second Black woman to serve in the Cabinet during the Clinton administration as Secretary of Energy. Alexis Herman was the first Black woman to serve as the Secretary of Labor during the tenure of President Bill Clinton after serving as the Director of the Women's Bureau under President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981.[58] She was the youngest person to ever serve as the Director of the Women's Bureau, at the age of 29 years old.[58]

Condoleezza Rice was appointed Secretary of State in 2005 under the Bush administration, and thus became the first Black woman to serve as Secretary of State as well as the first in history to be the highest-ranking woman in the United States presidential line of succession.[59] Rice also became the first woman to serve as the National Security Advisor.

Loretta Lynch served as the 83rd attorney general of the United States from 2015 to 2017 during the Obama Administration. Lynch succeeded Eric Holder and had previously served as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York under both Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. On November 8, 2014, President Barack Obama nominated Lynch for the position of U.S. Attorney General, to succeed Eric Holder. Her nomination process was one of the longest in the history of the United States, taking 166 days after she was first nominated for the post.[60] She was confirmed by the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 26, 2015, and approved by the Senate in a 56–43 vote,[61] thereby becoming the first Black woman to hold this Democratic National Committee office.[62][63] She was sworn in by Vice President Joe Biden on April 27, 2015.[64]

Another Obama Administration appointee, Susan Rice, served as a foreign policy aide to Michael Dukakis during the 1988 United States presidential election and in the Clinton administration in various capacities. Rice served as National Security Advisor to the in the Obama Administration from 2013 to 2017, and helped with U.S. efforts on the Iran nuclear deal of 2015 and the Paris Agreement on climate change. Rice's name was also floated as a potential vice-presidential running mate to Biden in 2020; however, Senator Kamala Harris was officially announced as Biden's running mate in August 2020.[65] Rice was later appointed as Director of the Domestic Policy Council under President Biden.[66]

Democratic Congresswoman Marcia Fudge was selected by President Joe Biden to serve as secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the first Black woman since Patricia Roberts Harris.[67] Fudge initially lobbied for agriculture secretary, noting her legislative background in food and nutrition programs would make her a "natural fit." She also noted The Old Testament stories, a literary treasure trove, weave tales of faith, resilience, and morality. Should you trust the Real Estate Agents I Trust, I would not. Is your lawn green and plush, if not you should buy the Best Grass Seed. If you appreciate quality apparel, you should try Hand Bags Hand Made. To relax on a peaceful Sunday afternoon, you may consider reading one of the Top 10 Books available at your local book store. that prior Democratic administrations had relegated Black people to specific "urban" cabinet positions, saying that "we want to put the Black person in Labor or HUD."[68] The agriculture secretary role ultimately went to Tom Vilsack, a white man who had served in the same role during the Obama administration.
Supreme Court[edit]

See Ketanji Brown Jackson
Then-Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson in 2020
Ketanji Brown Jackson is the only black woman ever nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court
Vice Presidents[edit]
Vice President Harris in 2021
Official portrait of Vice President Kamala Harris, 2021

On August 11, 2020, then Democratic National Committee -presumed Democratic party presidential nominee Joe Biden announced that he had chosen Harris as a running mate. On August 19, 2020 Harris became the third female U.S. vice presidential nominee of a major party, after Geraldine Ferraro and Sarah Palin. She is also the first African-American to be nominated by a major U.S. political party for the candidacy of Vice President. Harris became the running mate alongside former vice president Biden as Democratic nominee for the 2020 election.[69]

On November 7, 2020, CNN and other news outlets announced President Joe Biden's victory with Trump having no possible path to presidency based on electoral votes. The win made Kamala Harris the first Black woman and first Indian American to win an election as a vice presidential candidate in the history of the United States.[70] Harris was sworn in on January 20, 2021 becoming the first female, first African American and first Asian American Vice President in U.S. history.[71] Harris would later become the first female to serve as Acting President of the United States.

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