COLUMN: A Reflection on Kamala Harris’ DNC Speech and My Mother’s Legacy

Shyamala Gopalan with her infant daughter Kamala Harris and Mamie Sanders with her infant daughter Marshelle Sanders (Photo Credits: Facebook, Author Submitted).& One thing that stood out the most during the Democratic National Convention was Kamala Harris’s speech about her mother. It resonated with me because, at that moment, I thought about my mom, who passed away in 2023 at the age of 65 from heart disease. She was my best friend. In a clip on social media, V.P. Harris was interviewed by late American lawyer and healthcare activist Ady Barkan (2019), stating that the day her mother was diagnosed with colon cancer was indeed one of the worst days of her life. A Shared Grief: Losing Our Mothers to Chronic Illness Kamala and I share the emotional experience of hearing not-so-great news about women who have been massive inspirations in our lives and dealt with health concerns. “It was awful,” said Harris, “and so many of us have had the experience of that first time hearing that there is an illness that will lead to death. My mother said it to my sister and me. I want to meet you guys for lunch, and she showed up at the...