In Chicago this week Democrats will officially welcome Kamala Harris as their presidential nominee. Just a few months ago this was, for many people, an unlikely if not unthinkable scenario. Harris was a lacklustre vice-president, the narrative went, and her previous bid to be a presidential candidate had not gone well.
Today things could not be more different. Celebrities are falling over themselves to endorse her, and there is genuine excitement over her entry into the race. She is said to be enthusing young voters and those who could not muster much interest in Joe Biden.
So what’s changed?
Janell Ross began researching Kamala Harris’s life months ago. To her, the turnaround in the politician’s fortune came as no surprise. She explains to Michael Safi why Harris has undergone a political transformation in the past two years. But she also delves into which of Harris’s life experiences have helped formed her outlook, from being bussed to a predominantly white school, to the influence of her mother. And she looks at what her past can help us glean about her future and her approach to leadership
Photograph: Kevin Mohatt/Reuters
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