ທ່ານນາງ ຄາມາລາ ແຮຣິສ ຜູ້ສະມັກຊິງຕຳແໜ່ງປະທານາທິບໍດີສັງກັດພັກເດໂມແຄຣັດ ທີ່ມາຈາກຂົງເຂດທີ່ມີຄວາມຫຼາກຫຼາຍ ແລະເສລີນິຍົມ ທີ່ສຸດແຫ່ງໜຶ່ງຂອງສະຫະລັດ ໄດ້ເດີນໜ້າໃນເສັ້ນທາງການເມືອງລະຫວ່າງ ຜູ້ບັງຄັບໃຊ້ກົດໝາຍທີ່ເຂັ້ມງວດກັບນັກປະຕິຮູບທີ່ມີແນວຄິດກ້າວໜ້າ.
ທ່ານນາງ ຄາມາລາ ແຮຣີສ, ກ່າວຄຳປາໄສຢູ່ກອງປະຊຸມພັກເດໂມແຄຣັດວ່າ:
“ແມ່ຂອງຂ້າພະເຈົ້າເປັນແມ່ຍິງຜິວດຳທີ່ສະຫຼາດຫຼັກແຫຼມ, ສູງຫ້າຟຸດ ແລະມີສຳນຽງທີ່ເປັນເອກະລັກ.”
ໃນປີ 1964, ເລື້ອງລາວຂອງ ຄາມາລາ ແຮຣີສ ເລີ້ມຕົ້ນຂຶ້ນ,
ເກີດໃນໝູ່ບ້ານທີ່ມີຄວາມຫຼາກຫຼາຍ ແລະ ກ້າວໜ້າຂອງເຂດອ່າວ ແຊນແຟຣນຊິສໂກ.
ພໍ່ແມ່ທີ່ເປັນອົບພະຍົບຂອງທ່ານນາງ ເຊິ່ງແມ່ມີຊື່ວ່າ ໄຊຍະມາລາ ໂກປາລັນ ຈາກອິນເດຍ ແລະ ພໍ່ຊື່ວ່າ ດໍໂນລ ແຮຣິສ ຈາກປະເທດ ຈາໄມກາ, ພົບກັນຢູ່ເມືອງ ເບີກລີ, ລັດຄາລິຟໍເນຍ, ເຊິ່ງນັກສຶກສາລະດັບປະລິນຍາໂທ ທີ່ມີພອນສະຫວັນສອງຄົນນັ້ນ ໄດ້ເດີນທາງມາຮຽນຢູ່ມະຫາວິທະຍາໄລຄາລິຟໍເນຍ.
ເມືອງເບີກລີ ໃນຊຸມປີ 1960, ເປັນສູນກາງຂອງສິດທິພົລະເມືອງ ແລະການ ເຄື່ອນໄຫວເພື່ອສັນຕິພາບ.
ຄວາມຊົງຈຳທຳອິດຂອງ ທ່ານນາງ ແຮຣິສ ແມ່ນຖືກພາໄປຮ່ວມຊຸມນຸມດ້ວຍລໍ້ຍູ້ເດັກນ້ອຍ.
ໃນປີ 1970 ຊີວິດການແຕ່ງງານຂອງຄອບຄົວ ແຮຣິສ ກໍສິ້ນສຸດລົງ..
ແມ່ ໄຊຍະມາລາ ກັບລູກສາວຂອງນາງສອງຄົນ ໄດ້ເຊົ່າອາພາດທ໌ເມັນໃນບໍລິເວນ ເມືອງ ເບີກລີ ທີ່ຮູ້ກັນດີໃນເມື່ອກ່ອນວ່າ “ເປັນພື້ນທີ່ຮາບພຽງ.”
ທ່ານນາງ ແຄໂຣລ໌ ພອດເຕີ ໝູ່ໃນຕອນຍັງນ້ອຍຂອງ ທ່ານນາງ ແຮຣິສ ກ່າວວ່າ:
“ພວກເຂົາອາໃສຢູ່ໃນສູນລ້ຽງເດັກ. ໃນສູນລ້ຽງເດັກແຊວຕັນ ມີອາພາດທ໌ເມັ້ນ ສອງຫ້ອງນອນ ແລະນຶ່ງຫ້ອງນໍ້ານ້ອຍໆ.”
ທ່ານນາງ ແຄໂຣລ໌ ພອດເຕີ, ເປັນໝູ່ຕອນຍັງນ້ອຍ ໄດ້ພໍ້ກັບທ່ານນາງ ແຮຣິສ ເທື່ອທຳອິດ ທີ່ປ້າຍຈອດລົດເມ.
ທ່ານນາງ ແຄໂຣລ໌ ພອດເຕີ, ໝູ່ຕອນຍັງນ້ອຍ ກ່າວວ່າ:
“ພວກເຮົາເປັນກຸ່ມທີສອງທີ່ຍົກເລີກການແບ່ງແຍກຜິວພັນໃນໂຮງຮຽນຂອງລັດ ໃນເມືອງເບີກລີ.
ທ່ານນາງ ແຮຣິສ ໄປຮຽນທີ່ມະຫາວິທະຍາໄລ ຮາເວີດ (Howard university), ເຊິ່ງແມ່ນວິທະຍາໄລທີ່ເປັນປະວັດສາດຂອງຄົນຜິວດຳ.
ແລະຫຼັງຈາກນັ້ນ ກໍຮຽນຕໍ່ທີ່ໂຮງຮຽນກົດໝາຍ.
ໃນເວລາທີ່ນັກໂທດຜິວດຳໃນຄາລີຟໍເນຍມີຈຳນວນສູງຂຶ້ນເປັນປະວັດການ, ທ່ານນາງໄດ້ເຮັດວຽກເປັນໄອຍະການ ເຊິ່ງບົດບາດດັ່ງກ່າວ ຖືກເບິ່ງໃນແງ່ລົບໃນຊຸມຊົນອາເມລິກັນເຊື້ອສາຍອາຟຣິກາ.
ທ່ານນາງ ແຄໂຣລ ພອດເຕີ, ໝູ່ຕອນຍັງນ້ອຍ ກ່າວວ່າ:
“ນາງຕ້ອງການເຂົ້າໄປປ່ຽນແປງບາງຢ່າງເພື່ອບໍ່ໃຫ້ຜູ້ຄົນຖືກດຳເນີນຄະດີຕາມທີ່ຖືກກ່າວຫາໂດຍອີງໃສ່ການແບ່ງແຍກເຊື້ອຊາດທັງໃນລະບົບ ແລະໂຄງສ້າງ.”
ໃນປີ 2002, ທ່ານນາງ ແຮຣິສ ໄດ້ລົງແຂ່ງຂັນຊິງຕຳແໜ່ງໄອຍະການເຂດ ເມືອງ ແຊນແຟຣນຊິສໂກ ກັບຜູ້ດຳລົງຕຳແໜ່ງຢູ່.
ທ່ານນາງ ແອນເດຣຍ ດິວ ສຕີລ໌, ຜູ້ກໍ່ຕັ້ງອົງການ Emerge ກ່າວວ່າ:
“ມັນບໍ່ເຄີຍມີໄອຍະການປະຈຳເຂດທີ່ເປັນແມ່ຍິງມາກ່ອນເລີຍ, ທ່ານນນາງເປັນຜູ້ດ້ອຍໂອກາດແທ້ໆ, ແຕ່ ຕັ້ງແຕ່ເລີ້ມຕົ້ນ ທ່ານນາງມີບາງຢ່າງທີ່ພິເສດຫຼາຍ.”
ທ່ານນາງ ແຮຣີສ, ຊະນະເລີດໃນການແຂ່ງຂັນທີ່ສູສີກັນ ແລະ ມີກຳນົດເຮັດວຽກກ່ຽວກັບການລົງໂທດທີ່ຫຼາຍຂຶ້ນ ແລະເວລາການຈຳຄຸກສຳລັບຜູ້ກະທຳຄວາມຜິດຮ້າຍແຮງ, ໃນຂະນະດຽວກັນ ກໍນຳເອົາຜູ້ທີ່ຖືກຕັດສິນວ່າມີຄວາມຜິດໃນຄະດີອາຍາທີ່ບໍ່ຮຸນແຮງເປັນຄັ້ງທຳອິດ ເຂົ້າສູ່ແຜນຟື້ນຟູທີ່ເອີ້ນວ່າ “ກັບມາສູ່ ເສັ້ນທາງອີກເທື່ອນຶ່ງ.”
ທ່ານນາງ ແຮຣິສ, ໄດ້ຮັບເລືອກເປັນໄອຍະການສູງສຸດຂອງລັດຄາລີຟໍເນຍໃນປີ 2010, ທ່ານນາງ ໄດ້ກົດດັນໃຫ້ບັນດາທະນາຄານໃຫ້ຍອມຈ່າຍເງິນ 20 ຕື້ໂດລາ ໃນກໍລະນີການຫຼອກລວງໃຫ້ກູ້ຢືມເງິນ, ດໍາເນີນການຕໍ່ສູ້ກັບການຄ້າຢາເສບຕິດຂ້າມຊາດ ພ້ອມທັງການຄ້າມະນຸດ ແລະໃຫ້ສະໜັບສະໜູນຄວາມເທົ່າທຽມກັນໃນການສົມລົດ.
ໃນປີ 2016, ທ່ານນາງ ແຮຣິສ ໄດ້ຮັບເລືອກໃຫ້ດຳລົງຕຳແໜ່ງສະມາຊິກສະພາສູງຂອງສະຫະລັດ ບ່ອນທີ່ນາງໄດ້ກ້າວຂຶ້ນມາເປັນກະບອກສຽງທີ່ມີອຳນາດໃນປະເດັນການຍົກຍ້າຍຖິ່ນຖານ, ປະກັນສຸຂະພາບ ແລະການປະຕິຮູບຂະບວນການຍຸຕິທຳທາງອາຍາຢ່າງໄວວາ. ທ່ານນາງ ແຮຣິສ ເປັນທີ່ຮູ້ຈັກຈາກການສອບຖາມສະຫຼາດຫຼັກແຫຼມໃນລະຫວ່າງການໃຫ້ການຕ່າງໆ, ແລະຄວາມສາມາດໃນ ການນຳເອົາຜູ້ນຳທີ່ມີອຳນາດມາລົງໂທດໄດ້. ທ່ານນາງ ແຮຣິສ ຈຶ່ງກາຍເປັນບຸກຄົນທີ່ມີຊື່ສຽງເທິງເວທີລະດັບປະເທດ.
ແຕ່ໃນການລົງແຂ່ງຂັນສຳລັບຕຳແໜ່ງປະທານາທິບໍດີໃນປີ 2020, ການໂຄສະນາຫາສຽງຂອງ ທ່ານນາງ ແຮຣິສ ໄດ້ປະສົບຄວາມຫຍຸ້ງຍາກເພື່ອຫາທິດທາງທ່າມກາງຄວາມວຸ້ນວາຍຂອງພະນັກງານ.
ທ່ານ ກິລ໌ ດູແຣນ, ອະດີດຜູ້ຊ່ວຍຂອງທ່ານນາງ ແຮຣິສ ກ່າວວ່າ:
“ມີຫຼາຍເລື່ອງກ່ຽວກັບການລາອອກຂອງພະນັກງານຈຳນວນຫຼວງຫຼາຍ, ການບໍ່ສາມາດຮັກສາຄົນເກັ່ງໆໄວ້ໄດ້.”
ທ່ານ ໄບເດັນ, ໄດ້ຮັບໄຊຊະນະໃນການສະເໜີຊື່, ແລະໃນທີ່ສຸດ ກໍຂໍໃຫ້ ທ່ານນາງ ແຮຣິສ ເຂົ້າຮ່ວມຊິງຕຳແໜ່ງຮອງປະທານາທິບໍດີ. ທັງສອງຄົນ ໄດ້ຮັບໄຊຊະນະ, ເຮັດໃຫ້ທ່ານນາງເປັນແມ່ຍິງຄົນທຳອິດ ແລະເປັນຄົນຜິວດຳຄົນທຳອິດ ທີ່ໄດ້ຮັບເລືອກໃຫ້ດຳລົງຕຳແໜ່ງດັ່ງກ່າວ.
ເມື່ອປະເຊີນໜ້າກັບຜູ້ອົບພະຍົບທີ່ກຳລັງພະຍາຍາມຂ້າມຊາຍແດນຕອນໃຕ້ຂອງ ສະຫະລັດ. ຮອງປະທານາທິບໍດີ ແຮຣິສ, ໄດ້ທໍາການປຶກສາຫາລືກັບຜູ້ນຳໃນຂົງເຂດ ເພື່ອແກ້ໄຂບັນຫາຄວາມໝັ້ນຄົງ ແລະຄວາມທຸກຍາກ.
ທ່ານນາງ ໄດ້ກາຍມາເປັນເປົ້າໝາຍທາງການເມືອງຢ່າງໄວວາ.
ທ່ານນາງ ເຄທີ ວິວມັອນ, ຜູ້ສະນັບສະໜູນ ທ່ານ ທຣຳ ກ່າວວ່າ:
“ລາວເຄີຍເປັນຜູ້ຮັບຜິດຊອບໃນການຮັກສາຄວາມປອດໄພບໍລິເວນຂົງເຂດຊາຍ ແດນຂອງພວກເຮົາ, ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ຮູ້ຊໍ້າວ່າ ລາວເຄີຍໄປບ່ອນນັ້ນ ຫຼື ຍັງ.”
ທ່ານນາງ ແຮຣິສ, ຮູ້ສຶກສະບາຍໃຈຫຼາຍຂຶ້ນໃນການເຮັດໜ້າທີ່ການທູດ ໃນເວທີລພດັບໂລກ, ໂດຍເນັ້ນໃນເຫັນການສະໜັບສະໜູນ ແລະການບັນເທົາຄວາມເຄັ່ງຕຶງ.
ໃນອາຊີບທີ່ກຳນົດໂດຍການທຳລາຍອຸປະສັກ ແລະ ເກີນຄວາມຄາດໝາຍນັ້ນ, ທ່ານນາງ ແຮຣິສ ໄດ້ກັບມາອີກເທື່ອນຶ່ງ ໂດຍກາຍເປັນຜູ້ໄດ້ຮັບການສະເໜີຊື່ຊິງຕຳແໜ່ງປະທານາທິບໍດີຈາກພັກເດໂມແຄຣັດ, ເມື່ອ ທ່ານ ໂຈ ໄບເດັນ ຖອນໂຕອອກຈາກແຂ່ງຂັນຢ່າງບໍ່ຄາດຄິດ.
ອ່ານບົດລາຍງານດ້ານລຸ່ມນີ້ເປັນພາສາອັງກິດ
Emerging from one of the most diverse, liberal regions of the U.S., Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate for President, has navigated a course between tough enforcer of the law and forward-thinking reformer. VOA's Matt Dibble has this profile from Oakland, California.
Kamala Harris, DNC speech.
“My mother was a brilliant, 5-foot tall, brown woman with an accent. She taught us to never complain about injustice but do something about it."
Born in 1964, Kamala Harris's story begins in the diverse and progressive neighborhoods of the San Francisco Bay area.
Her immigrant parents, Shyamala Gopalan from India and Donald Harris from Jamaica, met in Berkeley, California, where the two gifted graduate students arrived to study at the University of California.
1960’s Berkeley was a center of civil rights and peace activism.
Harris has said her earliest memories are of being taken to rallies in a stroller.
By 1970, the Harrises marriage had ended. Shyamala Gopalan, with her two daughters, found an apartment to rent in an area of Berkeley known as the “flatlands.”
Carole Porter, Childhood Friend.
"So they lived above the daycare center, above Shelton's Daycare in a modest two-bedroom, one-bath apartment."
Childhood friend Carole Porter first met Harris at the school bus stop.
Carole Porter, Childhood Friend.
"Right here at the corner of Bancroft and Browning in west Berkeley."
Carole Porter, Childhood Friend.
“We were the second class to desegregate Berkeley public schools.”
Through visits to Chennai, India, the family maintained connections with relatives. Harris has said that her grandfather, who served in India's government, was an inspiration.
At the same time, Shyamala Gopalan knew that in America, her daughters would be seen as Black and nurtured them as proud Black women.
They regularly visited a cultural center known as Rainbow Sign.
Carole Porter, Childhood Friend.
“It was a place that a lot of intellectuals from UC Berkeley went also a lot of artists, Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Nina Simone. They grew up around a table highly educated, professional people of color."
Harris chose to attend a historically Black college, Howard University in Washington, D.C., majoring in political science and economics. She found her political voice on the student council and debate team.
Lita Rosario, Debate Teammate.
"She didn't have any problem debating with the guys, and she could stand her own ground, and she could succinctly and clearly get her arguments across."
Back in the Bay Area, Harris earned a law degree and began her career.
In 1990, at a time when record levels of Black men were incarcerated in California, she took a job as a prosecutor, a role often viewed negatively in the African American community.
Carole Porter, Childhood Friend.
“But Kamala wanted to change systems. She wanted to go in and change things so that people weren't being ((CUTAWAY: cells, door closing )) prosecuted the way that they were, based on systemic and structural racism.”
In 2002, Harris took on the incumbent in a race for San Francisco District Attorney.
Andrea Dew Steele is a political consultant who helped with that campaign.
Andrea Dew Steele, Emerge America Founder.
“There had never been a woman district attorney and in fact, women district attorneys were just – they were not a thing. There were not a lot of them in the entire country, much less a woman of color. The first poll had her at 6%. She was really an underdog. But from the beginning she had something very special."
Harris won the close race and quickly set to work on her agenda.
She sought to increase convictions and prison time for violent offenders, while steering those convicted of first-time, nonviolent crimes into her rehabilitation program called “Back on Track.”
Andrea Dew Steele, Emerge America Founder.
"She really had a passion for women and children. That was a big focus for her. She was very involved in domestic violence issues."
In 2008, San Francisco voters were considering Proposition K, a ballot measure to decriminalize prostitution. Harris angered many on the left by opposing the measure.
In another break with progressives, Harris took on truancy in schools by threatening parents of chronically absent students with jail time or fines.
Gil Durán was a communications director for Attorney General Harris.
Gil Durán, Former Harris Aide.
"Her desire to tune in to a root problem – kids not going to school at a young age and ending up in prison – was an example of more systemic thinking rather than just 'who cares what happens to you. If you break the law later, you go to jail.' She was trying to find a solution there at the front end of the problem."
Harris championed the right for same-sex couples to marry, and on the day the last legal barrier fell, she performed the first marriage
Harris herself would marry one year later.
Forming a blended family with attorney Doug Emhoff and his two children from a previous marriage.
Elected U.S. senator in 2016, Harris quickly rose to national prominence as a sharp interrogator during hearings on Russian election interference, and Donald Trump's nominees for the Supreme Court.
In her first campaign for president, her signature moment came when she criticized her then opponent, Joe Biden, over his past opposition to school busing.
The comment scored political points, but her campaign struggled to find its direction and manage its staff.
Gil Durán, Former Harris Aide.
"There's definitely been stories about high staff turnover, inability to keep talented people in her orbit. I think that's a valid criticism of Harris that she's received from a lot of people."
Biden went on to win the nomination, but, ultimately, he would ask Harris to join the ticket as his vice president, and the two went on to victory in 2020, making her the first woman and the first person of color to win that office.
Early on, Vice President Harris was tasked with addressing the surge of migrants attempting to cross the U.S. southern border. Following the administration's objective of focusing on root causes, she engaged with Mexican and Central American leaders in an effort to address instability and poverty in the region.
She quickly became a political target as a record number of migrants attempted to cross the border.
Kathy Willmont, Trump Supporter.
"She was supposed to be the one that was in charge of securing our border at the very beginning of Biden's presidency and I don't even know if she's been down there yet."
On becoming vice president, Harris backed away from some policies she had proposed in her first run for president, such as banning fracking, government-provided Medicare for All, decriminalizing border crossings, prompting criticism from both ends of the political spectrum.
In response, Harris has said that her values have not changed.
Harris has grown more comfortable serving as an emissary on the world stage, emphasizing support and soothing tensions.
And in a career defined by breaking barriers and exceeding expectations, Harris rose again, becoming the Democratic nominee for president when Biden unexpectedly dropped out of the race.