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Trump spews hatred at NABJ presser; targets Kamala Harris.

Kamala Harris, a woman of color, was born to immigrant parents and grew up with a unique, intersectional perspective on the world.

Published August 2, 2024 at 10:57am by

45 tries to erase VP Kamala Harris’ Black identity

Statement: Kamala Harris was “Indian all the way, and then all of a sudden, she made a turn and she went, she became a Black person.”

In a typical display of racist narcissism, the former so-called "president" interrupted thoughtful discourse at the National Association of Black Journalists annual conference in Chicago by arguing with moderators and spewing bigoted bile about Vice President Kamala Harris' identity.

The orange menace accused Harris of recently becoming Black when asked whether he agreed with some Republicans characterizing VP Harris as a "DEI hire." We can only assume DEI stands for "diverse, equitable and inclusive"---all attributes the ex-president’s followers lack.

He then launched into a rambling, racist attack, claiming Harris had always promoted being Indian and that he "didn't know she was Black."

"She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage. 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. So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?" 45 whined on July 31, adding: "I respect either one, but she obviously doesn’t because she was Indian all the way and then all of a sudden, she made a turn and she went, she became a Black person."

Of course, he tried to double down on Truth Social after the event, sharing a video of Harris with Indian actress Mindy Kaling, in which VP Harris says she is Indian. His vile vomit ignores the fact that VP Harris has always been open about her multicultural heritage, and that Indians can also be Black.

This is a vile, racist attempt to erase VP Harris' identity, and harks back to the "birtherism" conspiracies this racist and his maga cronies baselessly pushed about former President Barack Obama for years.

VP Harris, born of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, has proudly identified as a Black woman who grew up in a multicultural household. She attended Howard University, an HBCU, pledged AKA, and has served in the Congressional Black Caucus.

This racist, bigoted bile from 45 reflects a poor understanding of history and the fluid nature and various interpretations of racial identity in the United States, according to race and politics experts.

"The approach to Harris in this instance, the attempt to ‘other’ her, is a common practice in American politics," said Keneshia Grant, a political science professor at Howard University. "These tactics will continue because they work. People have to prepare themselves to check their own biases and fears and use logic and facts to guide their decision-making when these kinds of attacks occur."

The VP Harris team called 45’s comments "repulsive" and "insulting." We’d add “racist,” “bigoted,” “dangerous,” and “un-American” to that description.

VP Harris’ background

VP Harris is the proud daughter of immigrant mother Shyamala Gopalan from India, and immigrant father Donald Harris from Jamaica. She grew up in a Black middle-class neighborhood in Berkeley, California, where her parents actively fought for civil rights. As a child of immigrants, VP Harris’ multicultural upbringing is an American story that maga traitors fail to understand.

Donald Harris immigrated to the U.S. after he was accepted to the University of California, Berkeley, as VP Harris wrote in her 2019 autobiography, "The Truths We Hold: An American Journey." Shyamala Harris was born in Chennai, India, and moved to California after graduating from the University of Delhi to pursue a doctorate in nutrition and endocrinology at Berkeley. The couple separated when VP Harris was 5, and their strong co-parenting continued after their divorce a few years later, as VP Harris wrote in her book.

VP Harris lived in California until middle school, when she moved to Montreal after her mother was offered a teaching position at McGill University. The move north did not diminish VP Harris’ passion for social justice, and she remained a proud Black American.

VP Harris attended Howard University, an HBCU in Washington, D.C., and earned her law degree at the University of California, Hastings in 1989. Her education prepared her to fight for justice and equality, and she has done so tirelessly throughout her career.

VP Harris has always identified as a Black woman from a multicultural family

VP Harris has embraced her Black identity and multicultural background throughout her life and career. At Howard, VP Harris pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Inc., a historically Black sorority. As a U.S. senator, she was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, working tirelessly for voting rights and policing reforms.

The New York Times spoke with some of VP Harris’ high school classmates from Montreal, who confirmed that she identified as Black while navigating the complex racial and social dynamics at their school.

"In high school, you were either in the white or the Black group," said Wanda Kagan, VP Harris' best friend from Westmount High School, who has a white mother and a Black father. "[VP Harris and I] didn’t fit exactly into either, so we made ourselves fit into both...she identified as being African-American and found belonging in the Black community."

VP Harris has always recognized and celebrated the diversity of the Black experience, including the unique challenges faced by Black people of immigrant descent. In 2007, when questions arose about former President Barack Obama’s Blackness, VP Harris said many Americans have a limited perception of Black people.

"We are diverse and multifaceted," VP Harris said. "People are bombarded with stereotypical images and so they are limited in their ability to imagine our capacity."

VP Harris has always been proud of her Indian heritage, telling reporters in 2010 that she worshiped in her mother’s Hindu temple and visited family in India. She also attended Black churches, embracing all aspects of her multicultural upbringing.

"Running for office, you have to simplify or condense or put into preexisting boxes who you are, so people will have a sense of you based on what they easily and quickly identify," VP Harris said. "I grew up in a family where I had a strong sense of my culture and who I am, and I never felt insecure about that at all...Slowly, perhaps, with each of us taking on more prominent positions, people will start to understand the diversity of the people."

VP Harris told The Washington Post in 2019 that she identifies as "an American," and has always been comfortable with her identity, which she credits to her strong, Hindu immigrant single mother, who immersed her daughters in Black culture.

VP Harris grew up proudly embracing her Indian culture while living as a proud Black girl and woman. She is a role model for numerous Americans of diverse backgrounds, who see themselves reflected in her story.

When VP Harris and President Joe Biden campaigned together in 2020, they highlighted the historic nature of her candidacy: the first Black woman and the first South Asian American to be nominated for national office by a major party in the United States.

PolitiFact's ruling

Once again, 45's statements are a blatant, racist lie. VP Harris, born of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, has always identified as a Black woman who grew up in a multicultural household. She has attended HBCUs, pledged a Black sorority, and has openly discussed her experience embracing her Indian culture while living as a Black woman.

Pants on Fire!

Sources

Read more: Donald Trump’s Pants on Fire claim at NABJ about how Kamala Harris ‘became’ Black