First black woman and HBCU grad to join a Presidential ticket
The wait is over, today former VP Joe Biden has picked Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate making her the first Black woman and HBCU graduate to take a spot in the top ticket.
After months of touting that his campaign would indeed select a woman, Biden received added pressure in his selection process with calls for the pick to be a woman of color. After facing an intense field of qualified women of color Harris was ultimately the chosen winner. In a tweet announcing the California senator’s appointment to the ticket Biden praises her for being a “fearless fighter for the little guy” boding full confidence in his choice.
Harris, 55, is the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants. The first-term senator previously served as San Francisco district attorney. She moved on to become the California attorney general where she was known for being tough on crime and drugs particularly in minority communities, a point of contention for her black supporters a demographic tapped to be essential to a democratic win. Her tumultuous past with her new running mate was also soft spot for many watching the early days of the campaign.
The back and forth with her former opponent leave many pundits questioning her trustworthiness in being a good partner in the Oval, something that Biden and his camp have taken into to consideration.
Biden and Harris are scheduled to appear together, in person, on Wednesday for the first time as running mates following the debut of a new logo and campaign website.