Maya Harris made a surprising appearance at the Democratic National Convention (DNC), where she supported her sister Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential bid. Maya, a lawyer and public policy advocate, stunned the audience with her speech.
Maya began by talking about the values their late mother, Dr. Shyamala Gopalan Harris, instilled in them. Kamala Harris also paid tribute to their mother, who immigrated to California from India at the age of 19 with a dream to be a scientist who would cure breast cancer.
Kamala said, “I miss her every day, and especially right now – and I know she’s looking down, smiling.” She added that their mother was supposed to return home for an arranged marriage but met their father, Donald Harris, and fell in love. They got married, and that “act of self-determination” led to the birth of Kamala and Maya.
Maya reflected on how their mother pushed them to be “the authors of our own stories” and described their journey as a distinctly American story. She added that if their mother were present at the DNC, she would be proud of Kamala but would also say, “That’s enough. You’ve got work to do.”
Maya mentioned that Kamala understands what it’s like to be underestimated and to be an underdog in the United States. Taking a jab at Donald Trump, she said, “Where others want to drag us back to the past. My sister says, hold up we are not going back.”
She concluded by praising Kamala’s ability to create “so much electricity, so much optimism, so much joy throughout the nation.” Maya emphasized that Kamala’s leadership is needed in this historic moment.
Maya Harris, born two years after Kamala, is 57 years old and the only sibling of the US Vice President. She is a writer, speaker, policy advocate, and attorney. Maya played a key role in Kamala’s 2020 presidential campaign and later worked as a national surrogate for the Biden-Harris ticket. She also advised Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Maya and her husband, Tony West, live in both California and New York.
The internet reacted positively to Maya’s DNC appearance. One X user said, “So I just fell in love with Maya Harris and I’m ready to call her the First Sister.” Another user called her “an inspiration to us all,” and others praised her for being a great speaker and a natural presence at the event.
