Meena Harris, 35, appeared alongside her mom, Maya Harris, and step-cousin Ella Emhoff, in a joyous video to introduce Aunt Kamala Harris as the Democratic vice presidential nominee at the Democratic National Convention. She’s much more than Kamala’s niece, though. Here’s what else you need to know about the activist and children’s book author:
1. She introduced her aunt at the 2020 DNC. “We’re so proud of you, Auntie,” Meena said in the August 19 video, joined by Maya and Ella. “You mean the world to us, Kamala. And we could not be more excited to share you with the world as the next Vice President of the United States.”
2. She’s the founder of the Phenomenal Woman Action Campaign. Named after Maya Angelou‘s poem “Phenomenal Woman,” the organization, founded in 2017, aims to “bring awareness to social causes.” They support non-profits like the Essie Justice Group, Black Futures Lab, Families Belong Together, and Justice For Migrant Women. They’ve launched social media campaigns with celebrity ambassadors to further their cause, as well.
3. She’s a children’s book author. Meena released a children’s book in June 2020 called Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea, based on a story from her mother and aunt’s childhood. Female politicians, like Elizabeth Warren and Stacey Abrams called the picture book “a must-read” for little girls and an “inspiring tale.”
4. She worked on her aunt’s senatorial campaign. When Kamala ran for senate in 2016, Meena served as her senior advisor on policy and communications during the campaign. And she campaigned hard for Kamala when she ran for president — and now, vice president. Phenomenal Woman even sells sweatshirts with her aunt’s name on the back.
5. She’s a lawyer. She also previously served as Head of Strategy & Leadership at Uber, and worked at Slack Technologies and Facebook. From 2016 to 2017, she served as a commissioner on the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women.
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