“I’ve had a lot of titles over my career, and certainly vice president will be great. But ‘Momala’ will always be the one that means the most.”
Kamala Harris‘ historic vice presidency will introduce a dynamic second family to the nation, one that represents not only who she is at her core, but is a profound celebration of blended, multigenerational family units.
She’s been a stepmom to husband of six years Doug Emhoff‘s children since their adolescence, even maintaining a tight relationship with Doug’s ex-wife, and helped raise niece Meena Harris when her younger sister, Maya Harris, got pregnant at 17.
While Kamala is the connecting force between this real-life modern family, her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, who died in 2009, remains the guiding light.
At the 2020 Democratic National Convention Kamala remarked, “My mother instilled in my sister, Maya, and me the values that would chart the course of our lives. She raised us to be proud, strong Black women. And she raised us to know and be proud of our Indian heritage. She taught us to put family first—the family you’re born into and the family you choose.”
