What happened to Kamala Harris’ father?

Kamala Harris has already had a historic political career. She’s the first woman to ever serve as Vice President of the United States, and if she gets her way, she’ll become the first woman to serve as President. She has been the recipient of countless celebrity and political endorsements since she announced her plans to run.

Harris’ political aptitude, at least partially, stems from her father, Donald J. Harris. While not the household name that Kamala has become, Donald J. Harris has mounted a very successful career of his own. One that has resulted in global recognition.

Here’s what you need to know about Kamala Harris’ father.

What does Donald J. Harris do for a living?

Donald J. Harris is is an economist and professor emeritus at Stanford University. He was born in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica, before accumulating degrees at the University of London and the University of Berkeley in California. Donald was the first Black scholar to be granted tenure in the Stanford Department of Economics, which he achieved in 1972.

Despite living and working in the United States, Donald J. Harris has dedicated his career to bolstering the economy of his native country. His Stanford University bio states that his 1978 book, Capital Accumulation and Income Distribution, was a stepping stone in the work that he would eventually do alongside Jamaica’s economists.

The Washington Post stated that Donald spent most of 2012 writing a 294-page document that detailed a plan for economic growth in Jamaica. The plan proved successful, and was reportedly cited as a major cause for Jamaica’s economic rebound in the last decade plus. Donald J. Harris was recognized for his “outstanding contribution to national development” with an Order of Merit in 2021.

Where is Donald J. Harris now?

Donald J. Harris continues to hold down his position as professor emeritus at Stanford University. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2015, according to CNN, which is around the same time he purchased a residence in Washington, D.C. Given that his daughter is the Vice President, and potential future President, the location makes perfect sense.

Donald’s relationship with his daughter has not always been smooth, however. When Kamala Harris made a joke about her father’s pot-smoking habits during an appearance on The Breakfast Club, Donald sent a written statement to a Jamaican publication scolding her:

“My dear departed grandmothers… must be turning in their grave right now… being connected, in any way, jokingly or not with the fraudulent stereotype of a pot-smoking joy seeker and in the pursuit of identity politics.

Donald subsequently told Politico that he wishes to dissociate himself from Kamala Harris’ campaign. He’s made good on his word.