On the same day, we were reminded of a dream Dr. King had almost 60 years ago, Sen. Harris shared a dream of her own. She would like to become the first woman President of the United States. Kamala Harris is a California Democrat Senator and she threw her name in an already crowded Democratic field.
Sen. Harris does not have a strong focus on K-12 education, but she has taken stands on critical issues. Most recently, she supported teachers who were striking in her home state of California. She said in a tweet, “No teacher should be forced to take on a second job to pay the bills. We have to be better than this. Thank you to our Los Angeles teachers for staying strong- I stand with you.” She has aligned herself with teachers not just in California but across the country.
Sen. Harris has also been critical of Betsy DeVos’ leadership of the Department of Education. She has been against Devos since she made the statement to arm teachers in schools. During the confirmation hearing for Betsy DeVos, Sen. Harris called DeVos a threat to the future of our children. She voted against the appointment of Devos for Secretary of Education.
Senator Harris assumed office in 2017 and quickly made a name for herself. She is probably arguably one of the most popular 2020 democratic candidates in the black community. Her willingness to speak out over injustices in our country and go toe to toe with the current administrations has made her a household name. Her appearance on urban broadcast such as the Breakfast Club has expanded her platform and given her a backing. In an interview with the Breakfast Club, she believed that improved education would also improve communities. “It’s cheaper to focus on educating the young people than it is on incarcerating whole communities of young people.” There’s no doubt Sen. Harris sees the value quality education plays on the overall landscape of our society.
Only time will tell if Sen. Harris can muster the support as Barack Obama did, but she is a fresh voice and fresh face for a movement that is hoping for drastic changes in the 2020 presidential election.