A Bond for the Books! Get to Know Kamala Harris' Most Trusted Ally, Her Sister Maya, and Why They're So Close
Following Joe Biden’s official presidential victory in November, 2020, Kamala Harris was named the Vice President-elect of the United States. Along with her supporters, her sister Maya Harris has been with her since day one on her journey to the White House. When Kamala officially announced her campaign for the 2020 Democratic presidential race, her younger sister was by her side, as her campaign chairwoman. She served until Kamala dropped out of the race in December 2019. So who is Kamala Harris' sister, Maya Harris? Get to know Kamala’s most trusted confidante.
Maya Harris is Kamala Harris' younger sister and they're 2 years apart
Maya was born January, 30, 1967 to Shyamala Gopalan Harris, a breast cancer researcher from India, and Donald Harris, a Jamaican Stanford professor. She is their second child. Kamala was born October 20, 1964. Kamala is entering the White House at the age of 56. Maya will be 54 in a few weeks.
Kamala Harris and Maya Harris have always been close
A few years after her birth, Shyamala and Donald separated. Shyamala largely raised her two daughters on her own, earning the trio the nickname, “Shyamala and the girls,” according to Kamala’s memoir,
Related: Meet Kamala Harris Stepchildren
She even officiated Kamala’s marriage to Doug Emhoff in 2014, and helped the couple write their vows.
Maya Harris is a lawyer with an awe-inspiring resume
Maya is a lawyer just like her big sister. She got her Bachelor’s degree from the University California-Berkeley and later graduated from Stanford Law School. She practiced corporate law while teaching law classes at the same time. At 29 years old, she became one of the youngest law school deans at Lincoln Law School of San Jose. Politics aren’t a new lane for Maya. Aside from being her sister’s campaign manager, she was the senior advisor for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
She has also been an executive director for an affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union and a vice president at the Ford Foundation. She also spent decades advocating for criminal justice reform and community policing. She was also a political analyst for MSNBC.
She's also is a writer
She penned an essay for Tavis Smiley’s bestselling book,
Related: 7 Inspiring Titles By and About the First Female VP
Maya Harris has lupus, and has shared her health journey with the world
Maya revealed her own experience with lupus in an article she wrote for The Atlantic. She says it was important to speak out especially during the pandemic. More than three decades after being diagnosed, Maya still struggles with the side effects of the autoimmune disease. "The physical effects of the disease are cruel, including excruciating joint pain, organ damage, dramatic hair loss, and debilitating fatigue—most of which I have experienced again and again, often for long stretches, throughout my life," she wrote. "And while lupus can be managed, it has no cure."
Related: Meet the First Second Gentleman, Kamala Harris' Husband Douglas Emhoff
Maya Harris has a daughter and two grandkids, Kamala Harris' super cute grand nieces!
Maya had her daughter Meena Harris when she was 17 years old. Just like her mother and aunt, Meena, 35, is a lawyer, author and founder and CEO of the Phenomenal Woman Action Campaign.
Meena has two daughters of her own. On MSNBC in 2014, Maya reflected on her struggles of raising a child as a single parent while going to school. "I was a single teenage parent and I could not have done what I've been able to do had I not had access to childcare and had I not had mechanisms for me to pay for both my college tuition and my law school tuition."
Maya Harris met her husband, Tony West, in law school
Maya is married to Tony West, former Associate Attorney General of the U.S. Senate and the current Chief Legal Officer of Uber. West was also the third highest ranking official in the Obama administration’s Justice Department. They met on the first day of classes at Stanford Law School when her daughter, Meena, introduced her mom to her new friend. The pair stayed in touch, but didn’t get together until years later. Maya and Tony have been married for a little over two decades.
She's her sister's biggest cheerleader
Like so many, Maya has been over the moon that Kamala was named the first woman vice-presidential elect and has been very vocal about her excitement and support.
Next we have your guide to watching the 2021 Presidential Inauguration.
