J. Pharoah Doss: Kamala Harris, Black identity, and Republican defectors

When California’s Democratic Attorney General Kamala Harris was elected to the US Senate in 2016, an Associated Press headline boasted: California’s Kamala Harris becomes the first Indian American US Senator. Harris’ mother immigrated to the United States from India in the 1950s, whereas her father was born in Jamaica. The Associated Press was aware of Harris’ mixed background but chose to focus entirely on her Indian heritage for its historical significance. In January 2019, Harris released her autobiography, The Truth We Hold. Harris noted, “My mother understood very well that she was raising two Black daughters. She knew [America] would see [her daughters] as Black girls, and she was determined to make sure we would grow into confident, proud Black women.” That same month, Harris appeared on Good Morning America and announced she was running for president. Harris later appeared on The Breakfast Club radio show. The host asked Harris to address the allegations that she was not African American. Harris said, “I was born in Oakland and raised in the United States, except for my high school years in Montreal, Canada… This is the same thing they did to Barack Obama … I will not spend my time trying...