She Is Harris

by Sophia Ainsworth

On September 10th, 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris met Former President Donald Trump on the live televised event hosted by ABC.

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump stand in position for their first head-to-head presidential debate. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)

I, among many of my peers, had the privilege of viewing this momentous occasion. The significance of this debate, and election, in particular, is underscored by the racial and gender identity of Vice President Harris. Harris has the potential to be the first Black and Asian American woman voted as President of the United States. Her intersectional identities serve as a powerful and thought-provoking representation for many Americans.

Unfortunately, there were several disheartening observations that struck me during the debate. Namely, former President Trump’s refusal to refer to Vice President Harris by name. The issue with this can be broken down into two parts.

1. Her identity as a woman.

Gender discrimination is an oppressive issue present in the workforce, with research presenting the real existence of hiring bias. Women are hired and considered for jobs at a statistically significantly lower rate than their male counterparts. 

The use of first names, a feature that often signifies gender-identity, is part of this equation. By using one’s last name, a gender-neutral reference, outside parties do not consider the gender identity of a person. Moreover, in literature and professional settings, the shorthand used to refer to an individual is their last name. This is done as a sign of respect and to remove potential gender bias. However, since the emergence of Harris’s political career, she has repeatedly been referred to as “Kamala” while her male counterparts with their appropriate last names, i.e. “Trump.” Using Harris’s first name subjects her to gender bias and establishes a lack of regard for her contributions and accomplishments outside of her gender. 

2. Her identity as a Black American. 

In western culture, pointing at someone is considered disrespectful decorum. The gesture often comes across as derogatory or aggressive, drawing negative attention to a subject. Numerous times throughout the presidential debate, former president Trump would target his index finger towards Harris when given the chance to respond to her assertions, in an angry, mocking manner.

When answering his own questions, he often connected Harris back to President Biden, in tandem with such dominating body language, grouping their administration as a whole instead of narrowing his focus on Harris. He considered the entire collective to represent her, instead of herself, even at one point concluding “She is Biden,” reducing Harris to a shadow of President Biden.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture has adopted the responsibility of documenting and preserving the history, contributions, and culture of African Americans. Their work appropriately details the relevance of names in relation to self-determination for Black Americans. Contributors to this Smithsonian Museum recount that prior to the abolitionist movement, “Enslaved individuals had been stripped of their names, rights, and identity.” By refusing to acknowledge the fact that she does indeed have a name, Kamala Harris, and referring to her only through the gendered pronouns “she” and “her,” former president Trump actively removed Harris’s humanity, just as slave owners and individuals with racial prejudice once did and continue to do.

On the topic of self-determination, another point of relevance of the Presidential debate is the remarks Trump made regarding Harris’s race–”Is she [even truly] black?” is a conspiracy that has floated around the Trump campaign since his interview with the National Association of Black Journalists at the annual convention in July. This was brought up during the debate, and Trump was given an opportunity to clarify his stance on this controversy. In his own words, he attested, “I don’t care what she is. Whatever she wants to be is okay with me.”

The historical significance of this comment stems from the one-drop-rule used to oppress Black Americans during what is known as the Jim Crow era. During this time period, certain states required all persons, black presenting or not, to carry an ID card denoting their ethnic makeup, often called a “registration of birth and color.” These ID cards as well as verbal race checks were used to enforce discriminatory practices. An infamous example of this was with the Plessy vs. Ferguson Supreme Court Case in which a white-presenting man, Homer Plessy, was forcefully removed from a “white’s only” train car, despite originally having no trouble purchasing that specific seat ticket. Only upon confirmation of his ⅛ African ancestry was he denied access.

Vice President Harris is a mixed race Afro-Caribbean, of Jamaican origin, and Indian American woman. Her identity as a black woman is not negated due to her coinciding pride of her South Asian heritage. By arguing that Harris recently “became a Black person,” for her campaign, Trump implies she harbors a motive of convenience to garner more votes. His later comment during the debate where he accepts Harris’s identity saying it is “okay with [him]” yet again conveys he believes he has authority over determining her identity.

Trump’s rhetoric regarding Harris’s race furthers this notion that being black is an identity decided upon by non-black individuals. Weighing in the impact of colorism, a social hierarchy devaluing individuals with darker complexions compared to fairer skinned black people, being connected to blackness has become stigmatized. It is tone-deaf and insensitive to push these speculations and invalidating narratives that Kamala Harris is not allowed to and hasn’t claimed her black identity when she is an identity affirming representative for many. Moreover, it is problematic for non-black individuals to claim authority over the identity of Black Americans.

On Tuesday, November 5th, 2024, Americans will cast their votes for the next President of the United States. The two heads of their parties are Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. This year’s presidential debate demonstrated the disconnect between Trump and Harris' cordiality and a difference in morality. I encourage all to continue learning and to accept those around them. Do not allow the critiques and pressure of other forces to silence your expression. Register to vote and make your voice heard.

Kamala Harris remains a trailblazer and heartwarming role model representing women, and Black and South Asian Americans alike. She is Harris.