Kamala Harris' historic nomination shines light on Bay Area roots
VP Harris's childhood roots in Berkeley chart path from public schools to presidential nominee
Berkeley is getting international attention as Vice-President Kamala Harris makes history as a presidential nominee. Harris was born in Oakland and grew up in Berkeley as a child, while her parents both UC Berkeley graduates pursued their academic degrees and careers. Here is a look at the places she lived and attended school, and how she is impacting people who now walk those same halls.
BERKELEY, Calif. - Vice-President Kamala Harris's historic nomination to become the Democratic Party presidential nominee is also shining a light on her roots in the Bay Area.
At Thousand Oaks Elementary School in Berkeley, the U.S. and California flags bring a special kind of pride. The school district has been receiving calls from news organizations across the nation and overseas, with the increased interest in Harris's childhood and background.
"There's clearly some buzz and excitement in the community," said Principal Gabriel Fredman, who said a painting of Harris is on a mural in the school playground where she also attended school as a child.
Harris once sat in class and played in the same yard where young children are now learning and growing.
Principal Fredman says seeing a former student now on the world's biggest stage is inspiring for the students, staff and teachers.
"We water seeds, and sometimes we don't get to see the flowers bloom because the students go on to great things after they're outside of our walls. But it helps inspire us as teachers and staff to work hard because we don't know where these flowers might bloom. Where they might go," Fredman said.
Harris has often mentioned being among the children who were bussed to other schools during the second year of Berkeley's groundbreaking efforts to integrate.
"To know that the vice president herself took a bus to this school and really benefited from Berkeley pushing to be first and be better, I think that's really meaningful for many of us in the community," said Trish McDermott, a Berkeley Unified Schools spokesperson.
Harris was born at Oakland's old Kaiser Hospital to two immigrants and UC Berkeley graduates,, her mother Shyamala Gopalan from India and her father, Donald Harris from Jamaica.
Her first homes were modest; a Berkeley apartment on the 2500 block of Regent Street, and later a home on the 1900 block of Milvia Street, after her parents separated.
Later, she lived with her mother and sister Maya on the second floor on the 1200 block of Bancroft above what is now the Berkeley International Montessori preschool.
'That was the house she grew up in and it's a fun piece of history that I feel close to," said Isaac Wilcox, who lives down the block, "I was born in Berkeley, grew up here...yeah, she's making us proud."
After being bussed to Thousand Oaks Elementary School, Harris attended Franklin Elementary on San Pablo Avenue, which now houses Longfellow Middle School.
"It's fascinating when you realize that your local area is part of a national story and there's just kind of that aha moment," said Arie Dallas, a Berkeley resident, "It really sparks curiosity of how do any particular locales contribute to any one person's ability to have opportunities?"
"It's really nice to think about students at two different schools at the sites where the Vice President of the United States was doing the exact same things they are doing, showing up, bringing their lunch, being educated, learning, making friends," McDermott said. "We take a lot of pride here teaching our kids how to think, but not what to think. So a diversity of opinion, of political beliefs."
School district officials say they hope all students will remember the importance of caring for one's community, and that a public school student can become a presidential nominee.
Jana Katsuyama is a reporter for KTVU. Email Jana at jana.katsuyama@fox.com. Call her at 510-326-5529. Or follow her on Twitter @JanaKTVU and read her other reports on her bio page.
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