On Sunday, President Joe Biden ended his bid for a second term and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic presidential nomination. The news put Harris's story and Bay Area roots in focus.
As national attention is drawn toward Harris's political future, Bay Area residents and friends of hers shared chapters of her past with NBC Bay Area.
Harris was born in Oakland. Her parents both pursued graduate studies at UC Berkeley. Harris, her sister Maya Harris, and her mother Shyamala Gopalan eventually moved into a duplex on Bancroft in Berkeley during Harris's childhood. The duplex now houses the Berkeley International Montessori School.
They lived several doors down from Judy Robinson, who was a bit older than Harris.
"She was just a vibrant, beautiful smart little girl. She and her sister. They lived a couple of doors down, and they were always at my mother’s house," Robinson recalled.
Robinson said her mother, Regina Shelton, was like a second mother to Harris. In fact, Robinson said, Harris was sworn in as vice president on Shelton's family bible.
Robinson was invited to join Harris for the inauguration, which she remembers fondly.
Robinson also noted that Harris's mother was an activist and would take Harris and her sister to rallies and political marches in the stroller.
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"They were picketing and advocating for civil rights at a very, very young age," Robinson said.
Robinson and her sister shared scrapbook photos of Harris through the years.
Harris attended Thousand Oaks Elementary School in Berkeley, which now features a mural on campus that includes Harris.
Berkeley Unified School District Superintendent Ford Morthel described Biden's endorsement of Harris as "historic."
Morthel said of Harris, "Once a little girl who attended Thousand Oaks Elementary School, where she now appears in a mural, Vice President Harris is a reflection of the diversity of our community and another reminder that our mission, to enable and inspire our diverse student body to achieve academic excellence and make positive contributions to the world, is not only powerful, but also possible for every single student."
On Sunday, people walked by the mural to take photos with the image of Harris.
Among them was James Karantonis, a grandparent of a Thousand Oaks student. He and his grandson both took photos with the mural of Harris.
"[With] the job she did in the past, that’s who you need. And she has the energy," Karantonis said of Harris.
After living in Berkeley, Harris moved with her mother and sister to Montreal. Harris went on to get her bachelor's degree at Howard University.
Harris returned to the Bay Area to attend law school at what was then known as UC Hastings College of the Law.
UC Law SF Chancellor and Dean David L. Faigman said in a statement to NBC Bay Area on Sunday, "In the nearly 150-year history of UC Law SF, Vice President Harris stands out as perhaps our most historic and profound graduate."
"We are proud of her tremendous accomplishments," Faigman said.
After law school, Harris worked as a prosecutor in Alameda County.
Paul David Henderson, who is currently the executive director for the San Francisco Department of Police Accountability, said Harris offered him mentorship and advice.
"At the time, she was a young prosecutor and I was getting ready to graduate from law school and go into prosecution," Henderson said.
After Harris was elected District Attorney of San Francisco, she tapped Henderson to lead her administration.
Henderson said Harris left a mark on the Office of the District Attorney, bringing more people of color into positions of leadership.
"I was one of those voices, her elevating me into a position of leadership and management to address those concerns, I think is a sign of who she is and a measurement of what she’s been able to accomplish," Henderson said.
Harris's friends think she was shaped by the political action, innovation, and progressivism the Bay Area is known for, which they believe will serve her if she receives the Democratic nomination and possibly goes on to win the presidency.
"And she’s patiently waited and she’s done the work and she is ready," Robinson noted.
Robinson is rooting to see Harris in the Oval Office.
"I’d just hug her and tell her 'I told you so,'" Robinson said.
