Kamala Harris once said that anything you do to benefit Black America, benefits all of America.
The year was 2019, and it was Harris’ first attempt at running for president in the Democratic primary before she ultimately was elected vice president.
Her statement was in response to a question from theGrio about whether she supported reparations. It was a question being asked of most Democratic primary candidates at the time. Harris’ response sparked debate among some voters about whether she believed in policies that explicitly supported the well-being of Black Americans.
In the interview, Harris’ answer to the reparations question wasn’t a simple “yes” or “no.” Instead, she discussed a broader approach to helping Black Americans with policies like the LIFT Act that benefit all Americans but have a particularly strong impact on Black families.
In a separate interview, Harris expressed support for studying reparations, which caused backlash from the Donald Trump campaign’s War Room account and some Republicans online.
When asked by theGrio in 2020 about anyone who misunderstood her commitment to the Black community, Harris said:
“I will tell you where I am and where I’ve always been; there are very specific issues that impact Black people in America, which we know have historical context, and the history goes back 400 years. And I’ve always worked on addressing that, and I’ll continue to work on addressing it.”
She continued, “It’s why I’m proposing the Justice In Policing Act, knowing that Black men, in particular, are multiple times more likely to be killed at the hands of a police officer.”
TheGrio has reviewed Harris’ record of addressing issues that impact Black Americans during her time in public office and compiled the most notable initiatives led or co-sponsored by Harris:
- Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act (2021): Co-sponsored legislation making lynching a federal hate crime.
- COVID-19 Bias and Anti-Racism Training Act (2020): Introduced a bill to allocate $200 million for addressing racism and bias in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically aimed at improving outcomes for Black people.
- Justice in Policing Act (2020): Co-introduced this legislation with Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., and Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J., to increase accountability for law enforcement misconduct, ban chokeholds, prohibit no-knock warrants in drug cases, and create a national registry for police misconduct. The bill aimed to address systemic racism and improve relations between law enforcement and Black communities.
- Black Maternal Health Caucus (2020):Launched this caucus to tackle high maternal mortality rates among Black women, securing funding for community organizations and data collection efforts.
- Federal Maternal Health Day of Action: As Vice President, led the first-ever federal action day at the White House to raise awareness of maternal health disparities for Black women.
- Housing Appraisal Reform (2023): Introduced a plan to address the racial bias in home appraisals that led to Black homeowners receiving lower valuations than their white counterparts.
- Funding for HBCUs (Ongoing): Advocated for historic financial investments in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, addressing racial disparities in education funding.
- Small Business Support (Ongoing): Worked with President Biden to allocate $2.5 billion to small businesses in underserved communities, including Black entrepreneurs.
- Reconnecting Communities Pilot (2023): Secured $185 million to dismantle infrastructure that segregated Black communities and created transportation barriers.
- Opportunity Agenda for Black Men: Proposed $20,000 in forgivable loans for Black entrepreneurs, improving career pathways for Black men to become teachers and principals and legalizing recreational marijuana.
Watch the full video explainer from theGrio’s Natasha S. Alford above.
