Kamala Harris Emphasizes Policies, Not Identity, in Pennsylvania Campaign

Kamala Harris, the first Black vice president of the U.S., is emphasizing her policies, such as support for small businesses and housing, rather than her race or gender. As she campaigns in Pennsylvania and beyond, Harris chooses to focus on her resume and policy solutions, targeting key minority voter groups.

While President Joe Biden was hosting a celebration of Black excellence at the White House with lawmakers, advocates, and celebrities this past week, Kamala Harris was instead headed off to Pennsylvania. The nation's first Black vice president talked with Pennsylvania voters about supporting small businesses, building more housing and expanding the child tax credit. She said the country "needs a president of the United States who works for all the American people." What she did not do was spend time talking about her race or gender or the prospect that she would be the nation's first Black and South Asian woman to be president if she defeated Republican Donald Trump.

As Harris courts voters, she embodies her identity as a woman of colour rather than making it an overt part of her pitch, choosing instead to emphasize her policies and resume.

She will be making her case to minority voters in a number of key settings in the coming days. She is scheduled to speak on Saturday night at a Washington awards dinner sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, conduct an interview with members of the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia on Tuesday, and attend an online rally Thursday headlined by Oprah and involving groups such as "Win with Black Women,", "White Women: Answer the Call,", and "South Asians for Harris."

(With inputs from agencies.)