In her acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination, Kamala Harris used “the Bay” when talking about where she grew up, rather than name-check Berkeley and its counterculture reputation. And she doesn’t always jump at the chance to call-out progressive San Francisco, where she first made her name in politics. But those omissions don’t seem to be dimming the local pride and excitement over the Oakland-born candidate’s historic nomination. We’ll look back at Harris’ Bay Area background and how it shaped her career, ideas and political identity.
How the Bay Area Shaped Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris meets with supporters in front of the 24th street BART station while on the campaign trail for District Attorney in San Francisco. (Photo by Mike Kepka/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Guests:
Lateefah Simon, BART Board member, Longtime friend and mentee of Kamala Harris
Debbie Mesloh, former advisor and communications director, for Kamala Harris
Carole Porter, childhood friend of Kamala Harris
Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED - co-host of KQED's Political Breakdown
Stacey Johnson-Batiste, childhood friend of Kamala Harris, and author of "Friends from the Beginning: The Berkeley Village That Raised Kamala and Me"
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