Actress Kerry Washington helped teach the public how to pronounce “Kamala.” Plus, Harris’ niece, goddaughter, and stepdaughter shared the life lessons they learned from her.
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Actress Kerry Washington has introduced Kamala Harris’ two nieces to clarify the matter. pronunciation their aunt’s name
“Confusion is understandable,” Washington said of the frequent mispronunciation of the vice president’s name. “Disrespect is not. So tonight, we’re going to help everyone get it right.”
Harris’ granddaughters Amara and Leela then joined Washington on stage.
“First, you have to say ‘Kama,’ which is like a comma in a sentence,” Amara said.
“Then you say ‘La,’ like ‘la-la-la-la-la,’” her younger sister Leela joined in, repeating the sound like a melody.
“Put it all together,” said Washington, “and that’s Kamala!”
Former President Trump has repeatedly mispronounced Harris’ name. At a rally in July, he said, “I don’t care if I mispronounce it. I don’t care.”
Harris’s niece, goddaughter and stepdaughter share life lessons they learned from her
Harris’s granddaughter, Meena Harris, was joined by her stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff, and her goddaughter, Helena Hudlin, took to the DNC stage on Thursday to share how the vice president has been an inspiration to them. And they pledged that she will serve her country with dedication and be an inspirational leader.
Meena, daughter of Harris’s older sister Maya, spoke about growing up in a family filled with strong women — “my mother, my grandmother, and my aunt, who showed me what it meant to serve, helping her sister, a 17-year-old single mother, fight for justice for the American people and still cook Sunday dinner.”
“She is leading me. Now, she is leading my children, and I know she will lead our country forward,” Meena said.
Emhoff shares how Kamala helped her make sense of her teenage years when the vice president entered Emhoff’s life when she was just 14 years old.
From left: Helena Hudlin, goddaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris; Meena Harris, granddaughter of the vice president; and Ella Emhoff, daughter of first lady Doug Emhoff, speak on the fourth and final day of the Democratic National Convention.
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“Like many young people, I don’t always understand my emotions,” Emhoff said. “But no matter what, Kamala is always there for me. She never stops listening to me, and she never stops listening to all of us.”
“Her advice has meant so much to me,” Hudlin added. “Whether it’s pursuing your passion, making an impact, or finding hope when the world seems hopeless, she taught me that making a difference means giving your all and taking action.”
All three said Harris would do everything for the country as president — from fighting for economic opportunity, to protecting LGBTQ+ rights, environmental justice and reproductive freedom.
“Because we’re not going back,” Meena said.
Meena — a lawyer, theater producer and author — told CNN in 2020 that it was Kamala and Maya who inspired her to write “Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea,” a children’s book about how the sisters create change through working with the community.
Meena speak She was struck by a quote her mother, grandmother, and Kamala used to say: “Nobody can do everything, but everybody can do something.”
Emhoff has been in the spotlight in recent weeks after Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance said Harris was “a cat lady with no kids,” to which Emhoff responded that she wrote on social media, “I love my three dads.”
