The 59-year-old Vice President, who is of mixed heritage with a Jamaican-American father and an Indian-American mother, has been a frequent target of racial scrutiny. Recently, former President Trump questioned her racial identity, insinuating that she only began identifying as black in recent years.
The video clip, sourced from a local CBS affiliate, features reporter Joel Smith posing the question, "Is Kamala going to make you a little more likely or less likely to vote Democrat?" According to The New York Post, one man quickly responded, questioning his companions, "Is Kamala black, yes or no?" The man beside him responded candidly, "I'd let her speak on that, but to me, no." This sentiment was echoed by others in the group, with one man stating, "I share that same view," and another adding, "I heard she wasn't. I heard she's half black and half Asian."
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CNN host Michael Smerconish aired the clip on his Saturday program, revealing that when he previously played the segment on his radio show, black callers labeled the men as "low information voters." The debate over Harris' racial identity was further fueled by Trump during an appearance at a National Association of Black Journalists event in Chicago. "I've known her a long time indirectly — not directly very much — and she was always of Indian heritage and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn't know she was black — until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black," Trump stated, adding, "Now she wants to be known as black so I don't know is she Indian or is she black. But you know what, I respect either one, but she obviously doesn't."
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Trump's comments sparked immediate backlash. The former President had been asked about conservatives who labeled Harris a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hire, a reference to President Biden's 2020 pledge to select a female vice president. Trump largely sidestepped the DEI question. Harris later responded to Trump's comments during a speech at a prominent black sorority event in Houston, stating, "It was the same old show. The divisiveness and the disrespect. And let me just say, the American people deserve better."
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Before Biden's unexpected withdrawal from the 2024 race on July 21, polls indicated that Trump was making modest inroads among black voters. Pew Research data revealed that 77% of black voters leaned towards Biden, while 18% favored Trump, with the trend being particularly noticeable among black men. In contrast, in 2020, 92% of black voters supported Biden, while Trump received only 8% of the black vote, according to Pew Research. Other exit polling data showed Biden defeating Trump among black voters in 2020 by 87% to 12%.
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With Biden's departure, Harris has been thrust to the forefront of the Democratic ticket. Last Friday, she secured the necessary delegates to be declared the party's standard-bearer. She is expected to announce her choice for Vice President this week, a decision that will undoubtedly be closely watched and analyzed in the context of these ongoing debates about identity and representation.
