Kamala Harris began finding her footing last year with a rousing, impromptu eulogy for a Black matriarch that drew a mostly African-American audience to its feet — a task she must now replicate on a wide scale to secure President Joe Biden’s reelection.
Harris, the first woman, Black and Asian vice president, was unexpectedly called on stage to speak at the funeral last May for Ruth Whitfield, an 86-year-old woman killed in a racist mass shooting in Buffalo.
“The more she talked, the more passionate and fiery she got,” said civil-rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton, who called her speech an “a-ha moment” for an administration that lacked a reliable bond with the Black community. “All of us knew we were looking for something. She’s become that something.”
Harris is hitting some of her stride at a crucial moment as she and the president officially launch their reelection bid. Biden credits Black voters for his 2020 victory, with exit polls showing he carried 87% of the vote. But recent surveys reveal erosion in enthusiasm among the bloc, making it essential for Biden and Harris to bolster ties in the 18 months before the presidential election.
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