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by Robin Sharma
An American Journey
In 'The Truths We Hold', Kamala Harris shares her journey as a prosecutor, attorney general, senator, and now Vice President of the United States. She discusses her policies and beliefs, and how they were shaped by her experiences and those she's met along the way.
Kamala Harris was born in Oakland, California, in 1964. Her father, Donald Harris, a Jamaican, came to the US to study economics at the University of California, Berkeley. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, came from Southern India. Gopalan’s parents encouraged their daughter to apply to Berkeley – a university she’d never seen in a country she’d never stepped foot in – when she was just 19.
Gopalan arrived in 1958 and enrolled in a doctorate program in nutrition and endocrinology. She quickly became involved with the black community and threw herself into the civil rights movement. It was during a protest in Berkeley that she first met fellow activist Donald Harris. After falling in love, the couple decided to settle down in Oakland for good. Gopalan embarked on her career as a researcher specializing in breast cancer while he began teaching economics.
Kamala Harris’s early childhood was a happy one. The family’s home was filled with books, Indian spices and her father’s jazz records. When John Coltrane wasn’t on in the background, Harris’s mother – a talented vocalist who’d won awards in India – sang along to gospel tunes by the likes of Aretha Franklin. But these carefree days wouldn’t last. Donald and Shyamala had married young and drifted apart over time.
Donald headed to Wisconsin to pursue his academic work. Shyamala was offered a job at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. The opportunity was too good to turn down and she accepted. Kamala found the move difficult. She missed her friends and sunny California. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Montreal wasn’t just a colder and lonelier city for the twelve-year-old – it was also French-speaking! She remembers joking that she sounded like a duck during her first days at school as the only thing she could say was “Quoi? Quoi? Quoi?” or “What? What? What?”
Harris did eventually settle in, however, and her thoughts turned to her future. What did she want to do with her life? She’d always done well in school, and there was the inspiring example set by her mother. But her heroes weren’t doctors or academics: the people she admired most were lawyers like Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American on the Supreme Court, and Constance Baker Motley, a New York State Senator. Both were giants of the civil rights movement who had championed justice. How, she wondered, could she become like them?
The Truths We Hold (2019) is an intimate self-portrait of one of the rising forces in contemporary American political life: Californian Senator and civil rights activist Kamala Harris. Combining the personal with the political, Harris sheds light on her early years as the daughter of immigrants, her legal career in the Golden State and the causes she has championed as an elected representative in Trump’s America.
The Truths We Hold (2019) by Kamala Harris shares her personal anecdotes and political insights, making it an informative and thought-provoking read. Here's why this book is worth your time:
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Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trialBlink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
What is the main message of The Truths We Hold?
The main message of The Truths We Hold is the importance of unity, justice, and civic engagement.
How long does it take to read The Truths We Hold?
The reading time for The Truths We Hold varies, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is The Truths We Hold a good book? Is it worth reading?
The Truths We Hold is a compelling read that sheds light on important issues. It's definitely worth your time.
Who is the author of The Truths We Hold?
The author of The Truths We Hold is Kamala Harris.