Reaction To Kamala Harris VP Nomination

Last week Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden selected California Senator Kamala Harris as his Vice Presidential running mate. It was a historic selection, as Harris is just the second woman to be tabbed as a V.P. nominee since Walter Mondale selected Geraldine Ferraro to be his running mate in 1984. Her selection is also historic as Senator Harris is a multiracial woman of color, her father, Donald Harris, a Jamaican immigrant, and her mother, Shyamala Gopalan an immigrant from India.  They met as graduate students at the University of California - Berkeley, and even lived briefly right here in Urbana, Illinois as Donald briefly served as a professor of Economics at the University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign, when Kamala Harris was a toddler.

The 21st speaks to a member of the Black Caucas and a journalist to discuss Kamala Harris’, and what her selection as Joe Biden’s V.P. nominee means for women of color.

Guest:

Senator Jacqueline Y. Collins, Illinois State Senator representing the 16th District, member of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, and a former delegate at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. 

Nisha Chittal, Journalist and editor at Vox and author of the recent article at Vox, “The Kamala Harris identity debate shows how America still struggles to talk about multiracial people.” and also a U of I graduate

Prepared for web by Zainab Qureshi

We asked listeners in our Text The 21st group about what they thought of Kamala Harris being chosen as Joe Biden’s running mate.

Jan from Savoy said: “Delighted! She brings legal and policy experience, warmth and humor, and several demographic groups can see themselves in her candidacy. We need her energy and we need to get out of the exclusive old white mens club of this administration.”

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