DNC Live Updates: Harris aims to address ‘all Americans’ in biggest speech of her career
How Kamala Harris is preparing for the momentpublished at 01:44 British Summer Time
Courtney Subramanian
Reporting from the Congress
For Harris, tonight’s speech is a moment she never doubted would come. While it may have come sooner than she expected, the vice president has been preparing for this moment long before she was named the party’s nominee.
As she spent the last few weeks preparing for this important speech and revising various drafts, one person in particular was on her mind who had the greatest influence on her life: Shyamala Gopalan Harris.
Harris has long described her late mother as the most influential person in her life, often citing her advice in speeches and telling anecdotes about growing up as an Indian immigrant and single mother. Gopalan Harris, a small but passionate cancer researcher who moved from southern India to California for graduate school, instilled in Harris an unwavering confidence that allies say helped her in moments of doubt.
But expectations are high because Harris must reintroduce herself to voters and present her vision for her government.
A senior official told the BBC that despite her long reluctance to reveal her personal history, Harris would place greater emphasis on her biography than her predecessors.
Although Harris prefers to talk about substantive issues and her accomplishments rather than her background, tonight she will tell the world who she is and how she got here.
