It’s Kamala’s Day
By: Abayomi Fawehinmi
Tags: Women In Politics, Careers, Opportunity, Kamala Harris, USA

It’s Kamala’s Day

I am celebrating Kamala Harris today, Wednesday, January 20th.

Today is a momentous day in history. In the United States, history will be made today as Vice President-elect Kamala Devi Harris takes office and become the Vice President of the United States of America. This event is significant as Kamala is now the

…first woman

…first Black American

… first historically Black colleges and universities HBCU graduate

… first Indian American

to become the Vice-president of the United States of America.

Kamala's husband, attorney Doug Emhoff, would also be making history as both the first male and first Jewish spouse of a vice president or president.

Kamala' history and life is an inspiration for us all. Let me share her Career highlights and share few career lessons too. Join me !

1964, Kamala Harris was born October 20th, in Oakland, California, to an Indian-American immigrant researcher and Jamaican professor.

1986, Kamala graduated with a bachelor's degree from Howard University.

1989, Kamala earned a law degree from Hastings College.

1990, Kamala began her law career in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office, working as a deputy district attorney in Oakland.

2003, Kamala became the District Attorney of the City and County of San Francisco.

2009, Kamala published her first novel, Smart on Crime.

2010 Kamala was elected as the first African-American and first woman to serve as California's Attorney General.

In 2010 she was narrowly elected attorney general of California—winning by a margin of less than 1 percent—thus becoming the first female and the first African American to hold the post.

2012, Kamala Harris delivered an address at the Democratic National Convention.

2014, Kamala got married to attorney Douglas Emhoff and officially became a stepmom to his children, Cole and Ella.

2015, Harris declared her intention to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Barbara Boxer, who had decided to retire.

2016, she was elected to the U.S. Senate. She was the first Indian American to serve as a U.S. senator and the second African American woman.

2017, Kamala was sworn in as a United States Senator for California, the second African-American woman, the first South Asian-American, and the first Indian American senator in history.

2019, Kamala published her second novel and memoir, The Truths We Hold: An American Journey.

2019, Kamala released an illustrated children's book, Superheroes Are Everywhere. This book is for readers aged three to seven.

2019, Kamala announced that she would be seeking the Democratic presidential nomination for the 2020 presidential election. During one of the primaries' debates, she had a problematic exchange with Joe Biden over his opposition to school busing in the 1970s and '80s, among other race-related topics.

2019, Kamala decided to end her run for the presidency

2020, In August, Joe Biden chose Harris as his running mate for Vice President, making her the first African American woman and Indian American to appear on a major party's national ticket

2020, In November 2020, she became the first woman to be elected vice president of the United States.

2021… Today, Kamala Harris will become the Vice President of the United States

My Take-aways from Kamala’s Career Development

Kamala seems to have lived a reasonably regular life till she was 46. Her career took off significantly after she was 46 years old. Has your career been stagnant? Are you waiting for the big break? Don’t fret. It will come. Don’t beat yourself too soon. You can 'blow' at any time.

You can 'blow' at any time. The decade 2010 and 2020 was Kamala’s decade. She achieved so many "firsts" within a decade that you would think it’s a century. Sometimes you get results faster than you ever thought you could. Wait for the time. There is a set time for you .

. Kamala got married in 2014 at the age of 50. Marriage doesn’t need to slow down one’s career, as Kamala kept surging on after her marriage. Perhaps her getting married was the turning point for her career. (Wink-wink).

Time and chance happen to us all. In 2015, Barbara Boxer was retiring from the Senate. Kamala took her opportunity, ran for the U.S. Senate seat, and won. In 2020, it was reasonable to have a female running mate. Kamala was ready, had a national appeal, and was just right for the moment. Take your chance but prepare for it. Your chance will come.

During the Debates, Kamala had a hot verbal exchange with Joe Biden. She was hard on Biden. She shook Biden. Later in the year, Biden selected her as his running mate. You may disagree with people, but you can still keep a relationship with them. You may not know who you will need in the future.

Kamala didn't attend an Ivy League college. Neither Job Biden. Don't allow your school or where you come from define you. History is behind you. Face the future.

Kamala is a lawyer. She started her career as a prosecutor. In the Senate, her questioning was like that of a prosecutor. But since we went on this election circuit, she has been more engaging, and we see less of her prosecutorial part. She has demonstrated a vital skill of Emotional Intelligence — having the appropriate social skills for each situation. She seems to have toned down a bit. You need to grow in character and learn how to adjust to your realities

Your Career can take a turn. Just keep at it, keep improving on your skills, continue to deliver excellent performance and build good relationships. You time has come !