It looks like quite a few people have taken an interest in the Democrats’ latest presidential candidate. Kamala Harris’ 2019 memoir, “The Truths We Hold: An American Journey,” has shot up to the No. 1 slot on Amazon’s Black and African-American biographers list as well as the community and culture biography category.
This isn’t the first time her book, which was published before the Biden-Harris ticket was announced, has gained traction. It last surged in popularity after the 2020 election.
The book kicks off on the night Harris was elected a U.S. senator in 2016 and chronicles her journey from prosecutor to California Attorney General and beyond. She addresses many hot-button issues, including the economy, immigration, national security, the opioid crisis, and inequality, while giving further insight into what she considers a holistic, data-driven approach to wide-reaching issues such as big banks and “tough on crime” agendas. Rejecting unilateral and often vague notions of “soft” or “tough” approaches, she instead promotes the idea of being “smart on crime.”
Harris also touches on her childhood in Oakland, California, where she was born to immigrant parents: her father, an economist from Jamaica, and her mother, a cancer researcher from India.
When initially announced in 2019, some suspected the book’s publication was intended to lay the foundation for a future presidential run. In January of that year, Harris denied the claims, telling The New York Times her book was “really about the work I’ve done already that’s had national impact, and what I hope to come from it.” Of course, Harris eventually did enter the 2020 presidential race, ultimately helping Joe Biden secure the presidency as his running mate.
On Sunday, after Biden stepped aside as a candidate under mounting pressure from party leaders and calls from the public, Harris officially launched her presidential campaign again. While Biden has given his endorsement and Harris remains unchallenged as the presumptive Democratic nominee, the final decision will be made at the Democratic National Convention, which kicks off on Aug. 19 in Chicago.
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement, and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” Harris said in a statement, according to CBS. “Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party — and unite our nation — to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda.”
In the days since she launched her 2024 campaign, the Democratic Party has seen renewed activity and energy from its base. In the first 24 hours after the announcement, Harris broke fundraising records, drawing $81M in campaign donations. By Monday morning, over 40,000 Black women had raised more than $1.5 million, and by Tuesday, 45,000 Black men had raised $1.3 million.