Kamala Harris: redefining leadership and empowerment
She has become more renowned than ever before. You may have seen her on TV or on any social media platform – and for good reason: campaigning for abortion rights, peace in Ukraine, an end to the Israel-Gaza war, publicly funded-healthcare and much more. She was the democratic candidate for the US election and was not far off from winning. Her name is Kamala Harris, and she is America’s first female Vice President, making history as the first woman of Black and South Asian descent to hold this office, and she continues to advocate for issues that impact communities across the nation.
Since becoming nominee for US president, Harris had remained mostly inaccessible to the press and interviewers. But in September, she sat down in a Washington D.C hotel for a 40-minute interview with podcast host Alex Cooper. Cooper’s podcast, ‘Call Her Daddy’ has been Spotify’s second-biggest podcast for the past three years. The podcast also averages five million weekly listeners. ‘Call Her Daddy’ normally covers topics such as relationships, dating and personal stories about both her and her interviewees. But Cooper has recently taken a twist on the podcast, broadening her audience with topics such as women’s rights, mental health, and psychology. On the topic of women’s rights, Cooper invited Kamala Harris for an open discussion about women, with no topic off limits.
Cooper clarified at the beginning of the podcast that ‘my goal today is not to change your political affiliation. But the conversation I know I am qualified to have is the one surrounding women’s bodies, and how we are treated and valued in this country.’
Harris discussed a variety of subjects, blending serious topics with a conversational, casual tone. She gave an insight into her childhood and the values she was taught at an early age by her late mother – something most US presidents do not often discuss. Her mother taught her to not let things just happen to you and to figure out how to take charge of a situation. “We don’t have control of everything obviously, but don’t just let things happen to you without thinking about ‘Ok, what can I do in this moment?’”
During the podcast episode, there was also a discussion of the fight for reproductive freedom in America. “There are now 20 states with Trump abortion bans.” Harris mentioned that these bans make no exception for assault victims. “They don’t have a right to make a decision about what happens to their body next, which is immoral.” Kamala Harris was the first VP to ever visit an abortion clinic and has promised to support a bill which will restore Roe’s protections or make a stop to any national abortion ban. Religious values, specifically Catholic values, and the issue of abortion being a sin in Catholicism was raised in the conversation. But Harris established what revolved around her plan to stop the abortion ban. “This is not about imposing my thoughts on you in terms of what you do with your life or your body, it is actually quite the opposite. It is saying the government should not be telling people what to do.”
In summary, this podcast episode is an influential ground breaker in political history – sharing a fresh, and much needed approach towards the hefty debate of the handling of American politics and laws. Whilst the result of the election was not the result a lot of us hoped for, Kamala Harris encouraged Americans to “not despair” whilst she was conceding the election to Trump. “While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fuelled this campaign.” The fight Harris carried through these past anxious months brought hope to America, and though she is not going to have her place as President next term, she left an impact on many that gave comfort for what may happen in the future: reproductive freedom, affordable healthcare, and foreign peace. This podcast episode is an incredible insight into an in-depth and conversational discussion of crucial political issues in America, especially the issue of women’s healthcare rights.
Zara C, Year 10