Meena Harris
Harris in 2008
Born
Meenakshi Ashley Harris

(1984-10-20) October 20, 1984
Oakland, California, U.S.
EducationStanford University (BA)
Harvard University (JD)
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Nikolas Ajagu
​
(m. 2014)​
[1][2]
Children2
Parents
RelativesHarris family

Meenakshi Ashley Harris (born October 20, 1984) is an American lawyer, children's book author, producer, and founder of the Phenomenal Woman Action Campaign, which creates statement fashion to support charity.[3] In June 2020, Harris released her first book from HarperCollins, entitled Kamala and Maya's Big Idea, which is based on the story of her mother, Maya Harris, and aunt, Kamala Harris, the 49th Vice President of the United States.[4]

Early life and education

Harris was born on October 20, 1984.[5][6] Her mother, Maya Harris, is a lawyer and policy expert. Her aunt, Kamala Harris, is the Vice President of the United States. Her grandmother, Shyamala Gopalan, was an Indian-American cancer researcher and civil rights activist, and her grandfather, Donald Harris, is a Jamaican-American professor of economics at Stanford and a civil rights activist.[7]

Harris received her bachelor's degree from Stanford University in 2006, and her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 2012.[8] She graduated from Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland.

Career

Phenomenal

She founded "Phenomenal" in 2017, naming her fashion company for a 1978 Maya Angelou poem.[9] It then branched out to include the Phenomenal Woman Action Campaign, founded in 2017 as an organization that brings awareness to social causes.[3] The campaign covers a range of policy issues, including educational excellence and healthcare equity, criminal justice reform, gender parity in STEM, reproductive health, and political representation.[10] Ambassadors for the campaign include Serena Williams, Jessica Alba, Mark Ruffalo, Tracee Ellis Ross, Viola Davis, Yara Shahidi, Janelle Monae, Sarah Silverman, Debbie Allen, Rosario Dawson, Van Jones, Lizzo, Cecile Richards, and more. In September 2018, Harris also coordinated a full-page ad in The New York Times with Alicia Garza, founder of the Black Lives Matter Global Network, to demonstrate national support for Christine Blasey Ford and survivors of sexual assault.[11] Harris also operates Phenomenal Media for written content and Phenomenal Productions for videos and visual content.[12] In December 2020, it was announced that she and Brad Jenkins would launch a production studio called Phenomenal Productions.[13]

Children's books

In 2020, Harris released her first children's book from HarperCollins entitled Kamala and Maya's Big Idea, which is based on the real story of her mother, Maya Harris, and aunt Kamala Harris.[4] On January 19, 2021, she released her second children's book, Ambitious Girl.[14]

Political advising

During Kamala Harris's successful 2016 campaign for the U.S. Senate, Harris served as a senior advisor on policy and communications. From 2016 to 2017, Harris served as a commissioner on the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women.[15]

Other

Previously, Harris also served as Head of Strategy & Leadership at Uber where her stepfather Tony West is Chief Legal Officer,[16] and worked for international law firm Covington & Burling, Slack Technologies, and Facebook.

Personal life

Harris married Nikolas Ajagu in 2014. The couple have two daughters.[17][18]

Bibliography

  • Kamala and Maya's Big Idea. HarperCollins. 2020. ISBN 9780062937407.
  • Ambitious Girl. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 2021.

References

  1. ↑ "5 year anniversary! Nik surprised me, which included an elaborate plan to conspire with my boss so my calendar was clear for the day — and which I of course almost ruined because things are just a little chaotic right now. I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!". instagram.com.
  2. ↑ "For our 7-year anniversary I took Nik — a lifelong Giants FANATIC — to a special game and…I think I deserve an award????????". instagram.com.
  3. 1 2 "Kamala Harris' niece wants to inspire the next generation of social activists". www.businessinsider.com.
  4. 1 2 "Meena Harris". www.harpercollins.com.
  5. ↑ Labong, Leilani Marie (July 3, 2020). "How Bay Area activists keep the flames of their passion for change burning bright". San Francisco Chronicle.
  6. ↑ @meenaharris (October 20, 2019). "Love sharing a birthday with you @kamalaharris. October 20, and exactly 20 years apart!!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. ↑ "Donald Harris, Kamala Harris's Dad, Is a Renowned Stanford Professor". www.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Meena Harris '12". Harvard Law Today.
  9. ↑ "Meena Harris Teams With Former Funny Or Die Exec, Obama White House Alum Brad Jenkins To Launch Phenomenal Productions". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  10. ↑ "How to change the world, a five step guide". www.vogue.com.au.
  11. ↑ "Your Beliefs Here: A Look at Advocacy Advertising in The Times". www.newyorktimes.com.
  12. ↑ Testa, Jessica (January 9, 2021). "Meena Harris, Building That Brand". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Meena Harris, Brad Jenkins to Launch Phenomenal Productions". The Hollywood Reporter. December 3, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  14. ↑ Betancourt, Bianca (October 13, 2020). "Meena Harris's New Children's Book Is Dedicated to Little Girls Who've Been Told They're "Too Much"". Harper's BAZAAR. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  15. ↑ "It's Black Women's Equal Pay Day. No Matter Who You Are, That Should Matter to You". www.glamour.com.
  16. ↑ "Corporate Change: Meena". www.uber.com.
  17. ↑ Bose, Debanjali (August 13, 2020). "Kamala Harris, Joe Biden's VP pick, comes from a family of lawyers and Stanford graduates. Meet the family". Business Insider. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  18. ↑ Stein, Michelle. "Meena Harris' Daughter Told Aunt Kamala She Wants to Be an "Astronaut President"". distractify.com. Distractify. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
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