Kamala Harris: Di many identity of di first US woman to be vice-president

Less dan fur months to di election, Vice-President Kamala Harris don land for difficult position.

President Joe Biden poor performance during di presidential debate wit wit Donald Trump make pipo question more and more, im ability to win di election.

As anxiety turn to tension inside di Democratic party, her name show for di list of replacement candidates.

Wit oga Biden announcement say im go end im campaign plus put im support behind her, Madam Harris don finally reach di position wey she don dey find for long time: di top of di Democratic ticket, and if possible presidency.

But di journey no be easy one as plenty difficult questions full ground, especially in recent months.

Four years ago, di one-time candidate for di Democratic nomination for welcome di praise from her party.

But by July 2024, Harris dey for difficult position as par she be part of battered incumbent ticket, her chances for anoda term connect to Biden performance.

Inside di 24 hours afta di debate disaster, Harris chose strong loyalty to Biden.

Di vice-president tok for CNN, MSNBC and di campaign rally.

She defend her political partner record and attack dia opponent, former President Donald Trump.

“We believe in our president, Joe Biden, and we believe in wetin im stand for,” she tok for di rally.

Harris no ever shake as new well of support inside di Democratic party push her enta spotlight, even as critics dey press Biden to retire.

Still, na second chance for presidential campaign for di first woman as well as di first black and Asian-American to serve as vice-president.

Despite struggling to appeal to voters for 2020 and wit low approval rating during her tenure as vice president, Kamala supporters dey point to her advocacy for reproductive rights, di love wey black voters get for her and her background as goment lawyer wey for run against a now-convicted felon to make case for her to serve as commander-in-chief.

"I believe say she dey instrumental in addressing key issues like voting rights and immigration reform," Nadia Brown, director of Georgetown University Women and Gender Studies Program tok.

"She also bi be Biden most powerful surrogate on issues of abortion access and reaching black communities."

How Kamala rise to become VP

Just five years ago, Madam Harris bin di senator from California hoping to win di Democratic nomination for presidency.

She begin her career for Alameda County District Attorney Office and become di district attorney – di top goment lawyer - for San Francisco for 2003, bifor dem elect her di first woman and first black pesin to serve as California attorney general, di top lawyer and law enforcement official for America most populous state.

She make name as one of Democratic party rising stars, na dis momentum she use push hersef to election as California junior US senator for 2017.

But her presidential target bin no successful for 2020.

Her expert debate performance bin no dey enof to compensate for her policies wey she bin no fit to explain well.

Her campaign die in less dan one year and na Biden return di now 59-year-old to di national spotlight by putting her on im ticket.

Gil Duran, one communications director for Harris for 2013 wey tok about her run for presidential nomination, call am “big reversal of fortune for Kamala Harris”.

"Many pipo no tink say she get di discipline and focus to rise to position for White House so quickly... although pipo bin sabi say she get ambition and star potential. E bin always dey clear say she get raw talent,” Duran tok.

Kamala Harris bin focus on several key initiatives wen she dey White House and she bin really help for some of Biden administration most advertised achievements.

She launch one nationwide “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour wey bin campaign for women to get right to make decisions about dia body.

She bin highlight di harm wey abortion ban dey cause and call on Congress to restore di protections of Roe v Wade afta Supreme Court conservative justices reverse di constitutional right to abortion for 2022.

Harris set new record for di most tie-breaking votes wey dem don ever cast for vice president for di history of di Senate.

Her vote help pass di Inflation Reduction Act and di American Rescue Plan, wey provide Covid relief funding including stimulus payments.

Her tie-breaking vote also confam Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson appointment to Supreme Court.

But she also dey struggle to win di heart of di different groups of America pipo, as she dey face criticism on all sides.

Despite leftward leanings on issues like gay marriage and di death penalty, she face repeated attacks say she no dey progressive enof for some Democratic voters. "Kamala na police" na im be di common tok wey bin dey fly upanda for di 2020 campaign trail.

Biden bin also call Madam Harris to lead efforts for addressing di root cause of migration as plenty immigrants dey flood di US-Mexico border, issue wey opponents of di party say she neva make enof progress.

She collect from Republicans and some Democrats unto say e take her six months to plan journey to di border afta she enta office.

But in recent weeks, as speculation about Biden ability to win for November catch fire, she find one renewed base of support.

Di many identities of Kamala Harris

Born in Oakland, California to two immigrant parents - one Indian-born mama and Jamaican-born papa - her parents divorce wen she bin dey five years and na mainly her Hindu single mama raise am, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, wey be cancer researcher and civil rights activist.

She grow up inside her Indian heritage, as she follow her mama visit India, but Madam Harris say her mama adopt Oakland black culture, training her two daughters - Kamala and her younger sister Maya – inside am.

"My mama understand wella say she bin dey raise two black daughters," she write for her autobiography The Truths We Hold.

"She bin know say her adopted homeland go see Maya and me as black girls and she bin dey determined to make sure we go grow into confident, proud black women."

Her biracial roots and upbringing mean say she get and fit engage wit and appeal to many American identities.

Those parts of di kontri wey don see serious demographic change, enof change to rearrange di region politics, see aspirational symbol in her.

But na her time for Howard University, one of di kontri greatest historically black colleges and universities, she describe say dey among di most formative experiences of her life.

Lita Rosario-Richardson meet Kamala Harris for Howard in di 1980s wen students dey gada for di Yard area of di campus to hang out and discuss politics, fashion and gossip.

"I notice say she sabi do logical arguments," she say.

Dem two become friends sake of dia love for energetic debate wit campus Republicans, dia experience growing up wit single mothers, plus add say dem born di two inside di Libra star sign. E bin be formative era politically too.

"Reagan bin be president dat time and e bin be apartheid era and dem bin dey do plenty tok tok about divestiture wit 'trans Africa' and Martin Luther King holiday issue," Madam Rosario-Richardson say.

"We know say, as par descendants of slaves and pipo of colour wey dey come out of colonisation, say we get special role and as we get education, e give us special position for society to help effect change," she explain – e bin be philosophy and call to action wey bin be part of di university experience wey Harris live.

But Harris dey also operate wit ease for di mainly white communities.

Her early years include one short period for Canada.

Wen Madam Gopalan Harris begin teach for McGill University, Kamala and her younger sister Maya follow her, attending school for Montreal for five years.

Harris say she bin dey always dey comfortable wit her identity and simply describe herself as an "American".

She tell di Washington Post for 2019 say politicians no suppose fit into compartments because of dia colour or background.

"My point bin be say: I am who I am. I dey good wit am. You fit need to figure am out, but I dey fine wit am," she tok.

Di making of witty 'debate club' Kamala

From di very earliest, as her friend Rosario-Richardson confam, she bin dey show di skills wey allow her to be one of di few women to break through barriers.

"Dat na wetin attract me to make her join debate team [for Howard University], one kain fearlessness," she tok.

Wit and humour na part of dat armoury. For one video wey dem post for her social media for 2020 afta winning di election, she share di news of di win - wit very hearty laff – wit Oga Biden: "We do am, we do am Joe. You go be di next president of di United States!"

Di laff wey she take great di den president-elect wit, wen she make di first momentous phone call, na one wey her friend recognise immediately and intimately.

"E clearly show her personality, even for di short time wey she bin dey di campaign trail."

"She don always get dat laff, she don always get sense of humour too, she get sense of wit - even in di context of university debate - to make her point."

Di ability to deliver zingers to her opponents for live debate bin always very much be part of di momentum behind di start of her bid for di Democratic presidential nomination.

Kamala, 'Momala', history-maker

For 2014, den-Senator Harris marry lawyer Doug Emhoff and become stepmother to im two children.

She write one article for Elle magazine for 2019 about di experience of becoming stepmother, den come reveal di name wey later dominate many headlines wey follow.

"Wen Doug and I marry, Cole, Ella, and me agree say we no like di word 'stepmom'. Instead dem come up wit di name 'Momala'."

Dem present dem as di example of modern American "blended" family, image wey media kuku carry and di one wey later occupy many column about how we tok about female politicians.

Many argue say dem suppose also see her and recognise her as di descendant of anoda kind of family and dat na di inheritor of generations of black female activists.

"She inherit di legacy of grassroots organisers, elected officials, and unsuccessful candidates wey make dis way to di White House. Dem dey mainly see black women as political force of nature for democratic politics and for di Democratic party," Nadia Brown, associate professor of political science and African American studies for Purdue University, tell BBC.

Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker and Septima Clark na some of di names wey she follow dia footsteps, Brown argue.

"Her win dey historic but e no be her own alone. Plenty black women wey make dis day possible follow share inside."