On Stage

Say it. Comma-lah. That’s it, although it appears as Camel-la. I’m sympathetic with the quandary, since my own Roman name is difficult. Kamala is more common, in both India and Hawaii. It conveys, as does this bearer’s refined appearance, its meaning of “lotus” or “garden.”

Kamala Harris must also suit out with armor, as the barrage of attacks flow. Not 20 minutes after her elevation to the Vice President slot, did I hear that she wasn’t eligible, as the daughter of immigrants. Since Obama suffered from a similar birther indictment, one might strangely conclude that both are too close to being foreign, and therefore suspect.

I also heard from a Little Rock friend that she really wasn’t Black. Her mother from India and her father from Jamaica wouldn’t fly. Is Black only the daughter of American slaves with relatives in Alabama? Is Black never taupe, citing the one-drop law which was first adopted in Tennessee in 1910? My counter was “does it matter?” I should have added, “Aren’t we all created in His image?”

Many scientists reject race as a biological concept. According to a Harvard study, “The popular classifications of race are based chiefly on skin color, with other relevant features including height, eyes, and hair. Though these physical differences may appear, on a superficial level, to be very dramatic, they are determined by only a minute portion of the genome: we as a species have been estimated to share 99.9% of our DNA with each other. The few differences that do exist reflect differences in environments and external factors, not core biology.” Socially and politically, of course, race remains a hot potato.

Kamala Harris has said that her mother chose to raise her Black. What was the choice? Incorporation and acceptance are hallmarks for the immigrant—or anyone. Education became an avenue, becoming Baptist was a base. The scorecard has to be US Senator.      

One grenade also being thrown is that Harris is too progressive. Those who work as prosecutors are not, as a rule, progressive. They might believe in reform but are constantly defending and upholding the law. They don’t have the authority to change it. Her record as prosecutor will come under fire, but the courage to do that job will, too.

Some Blacks and liberals think she is not progressive enough. As the Vice President candidate, she has aligned her star with Joe Biden, a moderate and decent man. She will carry his mantle, which allows for incremental, considerate change. With a current leader undermining social security with the payroll tax cut and forever chipping away at the Affordable Care Act, is it logical for the progressive vote to go there?

A Dallas friend said she was trying to give her a chance. Why not. The fact that we’re learning to say her name is a start. In debate class, one must know each side’s arguments, in order to refute them. Now, will we listen.