Learning about Kamala Harris

A Review of "The Truths We Hold"

In "The Truths We Hold," Kamala Harris provides an insightful narrative into her life and career. Through the telling of her life story, relationships with her family, personal anecdotes and professional experiences, Harris presents a cohesive and congruent memoir. It demonstrates personal integrity, empathy, pragmatism, and leadership based on a desire to engage in work that helps others.

As she delves into her childhood, formative years, and public service, you encounter a portrait of a woman whose life has been marked by a strong sense of justice, resilience, and a commitment to service. Those unfamiliar with Kamala Harris, or who may form opinions based on media pundits or political soundbites are doing themselves a disservice by not reading this book. From the determined look on her face as a child present on the cover, through all the chapters in this book you learn about about Kamala Harris as a person.

Purpose: A Commitment to Justice

One of the first qualities that becomes apparent in "The Truths We Hold" is Harris' ability to articulate a clear vision for what matters to her as a person that is based in a pragmatic notion of justice and equality. Harris draws inspiration from her upbringing, particularly the influence of her mother and father, both of whom were actively engaged in academia and activism. How she describes her family, lifelong friends and colleagues you get a real sense of who she is as a person.

Her childhood experiences exposed her to reading and discussions about civil rights, social justice and community activism, planting the seeds for her own vision of a more just society. I admired her more as I heard how she felt at different stages of her life, moving into places and jobs where she was acutely aware that she was one of few women and people of colour in those spaces and that while aware of it, she remained focused on the job.

Harris describes how these early influences shaped her drive to pursue a career in law and public service. This vision became a guiding force throughout her work as a District Attorney and Attorney General, where she sought to reform the criminal justice system from within. Harris illustrates this vision through her "Back on Track" initiative, a program designed to divert first-time non-violent offenders away from prison and toward education and job training. This was a small initiative she implemented with her team in the San Francisco District Attorney's office.

This and other examples in the book showcase her commitment to systemic change and a willingness to implement practical solutions to complex problems. She clearly states many times that she is aware of the positives and negatives of the justice system, and how she understands it to be true. At the same time she clearly reiterates her commitment to make positive change from within these imperfect systems. The San Franscisco’s DA Office sounded like a difficult workplace to manage and the book gives you a strong sense of her leadership approach and work ethic.

Integrity: Unwavering in the Face of Criticism

The integrity that Harris brings to her roles in public service is a recurrent theme in her book. As she recounts her time as San Francisco's District Attorney, she discusses the tough decisions she had to make, often under intense scrutiny. Harris describes her collaboration with the "Mothers Against Crime" group in San Francisco, a collective of women who had lost children to violence. She recalls how she connected as a person with the grief and strength of the members in the group and how this informed her approach to justice, motivating her to focus on meaningful, community based solutions. Rather than advocating solely for punitive measures, Harris listened to these mothers, many of whom wanted to prevent future violence rather than seek retribution.

This and many other experiences she describes show Harris' integrity and her willingness to make difficult, sometimes unpopular, decisions in pursuit of improving the justice system that aligns with her moral compass around improving things. I genuinely got a sense that she listened to the voices of those most affected by crime, and this inspired her to listen and take actions that demonstrated a commitment to fixing problems with empathy and restorative practices in law enforcement.

In her writing, she is transparent about the challenges and criticisms she faced, offering readers a candid look at the complexities of the sometimes imperfect choices facing leadership. This level of honesty in navigating political and social pressures is a testament to her personal integrity.

Empathy: A Career Grounded in Humanity

Harris’ empathy and connection with people are evident throughout "The Truths We Hold," with numerous stories reflecting her deep concern for others. One particular story that stands out is her describing her work with grieving mothers whose children had died as a result of crime and violence on the streets of San Francisco. Harris writes about how she sat with many of these mothers, listened to them, and committed to do work that would help.

These experiences of sitting with victims, listening to their stories, and advocating for them in court reinforced Harris' belief that empathy is at the core of effective justice. She asked all of her staff who represented the people, to connect with and understand the people. This human-centred approach is a quality many associate with effective leadership. Her ability to listen, understand, and take action throughout her career shows an understanding and capacity to connect with people across different walks of life. 

Understanding: Articulating Complex Issues with Clarity

"The Truths We Hold" reveals Harris has a compelling ability to break down complex legal and social issues, placing the specifics of a case in a broader system and considering tangible actions. Whether discussing criminal justice reform, immigration, or health care, she uses straightforward examples and language to convey her views and why she thinks the way she does. 

An example is her explanation of the bail system and its disproportionate impact on the poor. Harris doesn't just present the problem; she tells the story of individuals trapped in the system, putting a human face to the abstract concepts of systemic inequality. This ability to communicate with clarity and compassion showed how she approaches her work and that she seems quite determined to acknowledge flaws in policy and systems and try her best to make the best choices to improve imperfect systems for the better. 

Pragmatism: Navigating the Realities of Change

Harris' career is marked by a pragmatic approach to policy making, something she elaborates on in her book. During her tenure as California's Attorney General, she sought ways to balance reform with the realities of the existing political landscape. Harris describes how she worked with law enforcement agencies to implement reforms in policing, not by alienating stakeholders but by finding common ground and building coalitions.

She championed for the California Homeowner Bill of Rights during the aftermath of the mortgage crisis. I learned a lot about her as she described her work to provide advocacy and a voice for homeowners in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis, while acknowledging it wasn’t perfect and a lot still needs to be done. She talks about legalising marijuana while outlining clear caveats and things that need to be focused on as work downstream so that risks and issues are effectively mitigated.

This pragmatism, combined with her political acumen, demonstrates the kind of flexibility and building the required working relationships to achieve outcomes became clear through reading this book. She echoes some of the talking points of her own critics when discussing her own successes, often saying that while making a positive steps through her legislative work, there is still a lot more to be done.

Resilience: Rising to the Challenges

Harris’ life story, as outlined in the book, is one of resilience. She narrates her experiences facing and overcoming obstacles throughout her career. At each juncture, Harris presents a pattern of resilience and perseverance. Implementing implicit bias training for law enforcement officers or advocating for reforms to address racial disparities in the criminal justice system as California's Attorney General, resonated with me and showed how she tried to work to make the justice system better.

Her resilience is further highlighted in her discussion of her campaign experiences, where she reflects on the relentless demands and challenges of running for office and working in politics. Harris doesn't shy away from admitting her missteps, showing a willingness to learn from setbacks – she doesn’t come across as naive or lacking self awareness, and the book  underscores her personal qualities of adaptability and determination. She also clearly articulates that she sees herself as one part of a larger team and system that needs effective people working together to achieve meaningful change.

Conclusion: Read and Decide for Yourself

If you have the opportunity to vote in the upcoming US election, you should read the book. It is not a long read, you can listen to it on Audible in less than 10 hours. You can also read another review of the book here. 

This book came out at the start of 2019, long before she became the nominee for the upcoming election. In "The Truths We Hold," Kamala Harris presents herself as a person with a clear vision for a society based on justice. She demonstrates integrity, deep empathy, political acumen, and resilience. She is determined to try and get things done and make incremental changes to make things better.

Her narrative is not just a recounting of her personal achievements but a thoughtful exploration of the values that guide her, the highlights for me were the descriptions of the people she listened to and learned from along the way. For those seeking to understand Harris, who are hearing that we do not know much about her, or that she has changed her views over time in ways that make her unreliable, this book is a valuable resource, and I think that it helps show that some of this commentary about her is superficial and inaccurate.

I decided to read this book because I felt I wasn’t getting much information about her and who she was. In "The Truths We Hold," you learn a lot about her experiences and the principles that have shaped her into who she is now. I went in unsure and undecided, because I did not really know much about her.

I feel I now know enough about who she is: a determined and pragmatic person who listens to people. She struck me as authentic person who loves her family, a politician with genuine desire to implement changes by working collaboratively and effectively with others.

References

Harris, K. D. (2019). The Truths We Hold: An American Journey. Penguin Books.

Penguin Books. (2024, August). Kamala Harris: What we learn from her memoir, The Truths We Hold. https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2024/08/kamala-harris-what-we-learn-from-her-memoir-the-truths-we-hold