Kamala Harris, currently serving as the 49th Vice President of the United States, describes herself as a person of faith and considers religion a way of life.
While having an exclusive talk with RNS in 2020, she revealed her perspective on religion that she developed over time, saying, “I learned that “faith” is a verb, and that we must live it, and show it, in action.”
Kamala Harris further stated that religion isn’t something that is expressed within the premises of house of worship but also in the way that we drive our everyday lives, personally and professionally.
Well, whatever outlook she has had regarding faith is the outcome of her association with her upbringing in a multireligious household.
But, while discovering her own religious affiliation, she appears to find more connected to her father’s faith, Christianity, that’s the reason why, Kamala Harris identifies herself as a Black Baptist.
Kamala Harris’ upbringing in a blend of Christianity and Hindu tradition shaped her broad perspective on religion!
Since Kamala Harris was born to her Christian father, Donald Harris, and Hindu mother, Shyamala Gopalan, she grew up practicing both religions, visiting churches and Hindu Temples simultaneously.
It was her mother, Shyamala, who grounded her and her sister Maya in their father’s faith, Christianity, and also exposed them to her own religion, Hinduism.
Coming from such an eclectic religious background may be why Kamala Harris has liberal thought on religion; her marriage to a Jewish man, Douglas Emhoff, following a Jewish tradition is evident.
Further, she highly believes that religion has played a significant role in her leadership journey, in becoming the voice of the voiceless. In this regard, she said, “The God I believed asks us to serve others and speak up for others... I’ve always tried to be an advocate for the vulnerable….”
Her open perspective on faith have shaped her the person who she is now, making her one of the strong leader of the United states.
Additional Information
- Kamala Harris was born in Oakland, California, on October 20, 1964. She is currently 60 years old.
- Kamala is Indian-Jamaican by ethnicity, as her father is originally from Jamaica, and her mother is an Indian.
- Kamala is a member of the Third Baptist Church of San Francisco. Her favorite bible verse is ‘We walk by faith and not by sight.’
