Harris avoids focusing on her identity when in the public eye
The vice president articulates her stance on identity in an implicit manner. Black women are receptive to this approach.
TroibNews 
Vice President Kamala Harris continues to face inquiries regarding the groundbreaking nature of her candidacy, yet she remains intentionally disengaged from such discussions.
In her first interview since becoming the leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, Harris was asked about former President Donald Trump’s remark that she had only recently “turned Black.” She responded succinctly: “Same old, tired playbook. Next question, please.”
When posed a question about her grandniece Amara Ajagu listening to her acceptance speech in Chicago, and its significance for young women of color, she stated, “I am running because I believe that I am the best person to do this job at this moment, for all Americans, regardless of race and gender.”
This response encapsulates both Harris's campaign strategy and her personal commitment to focusing on broader issues as a politician. Throughout her career, she has consistently been the first woman, Black person, or South Asian American to serve in various roles. However, she chooses to let the historic nature of her candidacy speak for itself rather than addressing it head-on.
“Race and gender? Honey, I wouldn’t even play two minutes with that. Barack [Obama] broke the mold when he became the Democratic nominee, and he broke the mold when he became president of the United States. Hillary Clinton broke the mold when she became the Democratic nominee,” according to Donna Brazile, a veteran Democratic strategist and adviser to Harris.
She added, “We've had these conversations before, we've had them, there's nothing new that she can add to. Every time you break the mold, you no longer have to recreate it.”
Harris's aides indicate that she has never been keen on becoming entangled in “identity politics,” even as she acknowledges the cultural milestones that her candidacy represents. They emphasize that the campaign's final stretch focuses on expanding her appeal to voters who are undecided between her and Trump. By downplaying her identity, she aims to ensure that those voters who do not prioritize her racial or gender background remain open to supporting her.
“The people who those things matter to have made up their mind. But the people who aren’t motivated by the historic nature haven’t made up their mind. We are in the phase of convincing that second group,” noted a Harris aide who wished to remain anonymous.
Historically, discussions about race or gender among politicians served to acclimatize voters to the idea of diverse leadership in the U.S. Harris's aides and allies argue that such conversations are no longer necessary.
This shift is welcomed by some Black women who appreciate Harris's approach, as it allows for a focus on policy rather than a continual emphasis on being “the first” in every interview. Senator Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), a former aide to Harris and current supporter, remarked, “As a Black woman, you wake up every day knowing you are a Black woman and the world don't ever let you forget that you are a Black woman, so she doesn't need to profess or wear a sticker on her shirt that she is a Black woman. The way that she thinks about what she is doing in this moment, it is bigger than just her gender or her race.”
Many point out that women and people of color often face questions that their white male counterparts do not. LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, commented, “Nobody asks a white man that question. What she is doing is responding to, 'I am not going to be boxed in a way that I have to defend my humanity and my identity by anybody.' That is a powerful stance.”
Brown further stated, “She has decided she is not going to feed into the same racist, sexist tropes that seek to dehumanize us to make us justify our very being on this Earth.”
Harris does occasionally discuss her identity, but these instances are seldom straightforward. She has shared experiences such as attending Howard University, a historically Black institution, and being a member of the historically Black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, as well as her mother’s encouragement to “be the first, but not the last.” In her response regarding the famous photograph of her grandniece, she noted, “I did see that photograph, and I was deeply touched by it.”
Harris’s strategy marks a notable departure from Hillary Clinton’s approach in 2016, which prominently featured her identity as the first woman seriously vying for the presidency. Ashley Allison, who was part of the Biden and Harris 2020 campaign, stated, “Women, and particularly women of color do not often get that luxury. We often find ourselves in institutions where we are constantly defending ourselves. I feel like I'm getting a master class right now in permission structures and how to show up. [Harris is saying]: 'I don't have to defend myself to you about my identity.’ It's like, ‘I have been very clear. If you don't like it, that's on you. That says more about you than me.’”
Trump, meanwhile, has had difficulties framing Harris as a formidable opponent and has attempted to draw her into discussions that revolve around her identity. When initially addressing Trump’s comment about her “turning Black,” Harris referred to it as “the same old show, the divisiveness and the disrespect,” adding, “Let me just say, the American people deserve better.” The Trump campaign has relied on various attacks, blending references to her race and gender with others that do not.
Kimberly Peeler-Allen, co-founder of Higher Heights, an organization dedicated to advancing Black women's political power, observed that Republicans are “still trying to figure out how to deal with a candidate” who doesn’t overtly lean into her race or gender.
“With Obama and then with Hillary, we saw people just saying, ‘Oh, it’s a Black presidency, it’s a woman presidency,’” Peeler-Allen reflected. “Without naming or having to say, 'I am a woman of color, I am the daughter of immigrants, I am a woman,' [Harris] is able to draw on all of that as she is navigating this race.”
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
In her first interview since becoming the leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, Harris was asked about former President Donald Trump’s remark that she had only recently “turned Black.” She responded succinctly: “Same old, tired playbook. Next question, please.”
When posed a question about her grandniece Amara Ajagu listening to her acceptance speech in Chicago, and its significance for young women of color, she stated, “I am running because I believe that I am the best person to do this job at this moment, for all Americans, regardless of race and gender.”
This response encapsulates both Harris's campaign strategy and her personal commitment to focusing on broader issues as a politician. Throughout her career, she has consistently been the first woman, Black person, or South Asian American to serve in various roles. However, she chooses to let the historic nature of her candidacy speak for itself rather than addressing it head-on.
“Race and gender? Honey, I wouldn’t even play two minutes with that. Barack [Obama] broke the mold when he became the Democratic nominee, and he broke the mold when he became president of the United States. Hillary Clinton broke the mold when she became the Democratic nominee,” according to Donna Brazile, a veteran Democratic strategist and adviser to Harris.
She added, “We've had these conversations before, we've had them, there's nothing new that she can add to. Every time you break the mold, you no longer have to recreate it.”
Harris's aides indicate that she has never been keen on becoming entangled in “identity politics,” even as she acknowledges the cultural milestones that her candidacy represents. They emphasize that the campaign's final stretch focuses on expanding her appeal to voters who are undecided between her and Trump. By downplaying her identity, she aims to ensure that those voters who do not prioritize her racial or gender background remain open to supporting her.
“The people who those things matter to have made up their mind. But the people who aren’t motivated by the historic nature haven’t made up their mind. We are in the phase of convincing that second group,” noted a Harris aide who wished to remain anonymous.
Historically, discussions about race or gender among politicians served to acclimatize voters to the idea of diverse leadership in the U.S. Harris's aides and allies argue that such conversations are no longer necessary.
This shift is welcomed by some Black women who appreciate Harris's approach, as it allows for a focus on policy rather than a continual emphasis on being “the first” in every interview. Senator Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), a former aide to Harris and current supporter, remarked, “As a Black woman, you wake up every day knowing you are a Black woman and the world don't ever let you forget that you are a Black woman, so she doesn't need to profess or wear a sticker on her shirt that she is a Black woman. The way that she thinks about what she is doing in this moment, it is bigger than just her gender or her race.”
Many point out that women and people of color often face questions that their white male counterparts do not. LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, commented, “Nobody asks a white man that question. What she is doing is responding to, 'I am not going to be boxed in a way that I have to defend my humanity and my identity by anybody.' That is a powerful stance.”
Brown further stated, “She has decided she is not going to feed into the same racist, sexist tropes that seek to dehumanize us to make us justify our very being on this Earth.”
Harris does occasionally discuss her identity, but these instances are seldom straightforward. She has shared experiences such as attending Howard University, a historically Black institution, and being a member of the historically Black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, as well as her mother’s encouragement to “be the first, but not the last.” In her response regarding the famous photograph of her grandniece, she noted, “I did see that photograph, and I was deeply touched by it.”
Harris’s strategy marks a notable departure from Hillary Clinton’s approach in 2016, which prominently featured her identity as the first woman seriously vying for the presidency. Ashley Allison, who was part of the Biden and Harris 2020 campaign, stated, “Women, and particularly women of color do not often get that luxury. We often find ourselves in institutions where we are constantly defending ourselves. I feel like I'm getting a master class right now in permission structures and how to show up. [Harris is saying]: 'I don't have to defend myself to you about my identity.’ It's like, ‘I have been very clear. If you don't like it, that's on you. That says more about you than me.’”
Trump, meanwhile, has had difficulties framing Harris as a formidable opponent and has attempted to draw her into discussions that revolve around her identity. When initially addressing Trump’s comment about her “turning Black,” Harris referred to it as “the same old show, the divisiveness and the disrespect,” adding, “Let me just say, the American people deserve better.” The Trump campaign has relied on various attacks, blending references to her race and gender with others that do not.
Kimberly Peeler-Allen, co-founder of Higher Heights, an organization dedicated to advancing Black women's political power, observed that Republicans are “still trying to figure out how to deal with a candidate” who doesn’t overtly lean into her race or gender.
“With Obama and then with Hillary, we saw people just saying, ‘Oh, it’s a Black presidency, it’s a woman presidency,’” Peeler-Allen reflected. “Without naming or having to say, 'I am a woman of color, I am the daughter of immigrants, I am a woman,' [Harris] is able to draw on all of that as she is navigating this race.”
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
