It all starts with a handshake.
Want to make a captivating first impression?
…Know when to extend your hand.
Want to stand apart from the competition?
…Shake from the elbow, not the shoulder.
Want that promotion?
…Exert power and influence, with just the right grip.
The first gesture is the most important, but you only get one shot.
Shaking Things Up
One of the most impressive aspects of the handshake is its ability to make (or break) a first impression; but can you really judge a person by the way they shake hands?
Science says, “Yes!”
According to Psychology Today, in less than five seconds – or the time it takes to extend a hand – a prospective employer, client or business associate can begin to determine whether someone is trustworthy or confident. Reaching out with a hearty handshake is one of the first indications that an individual is competent; it suggests and symbolizes an ability to follow through.
Each shake of hands presents a new opportunity to show respect, display good intentions and indicate where someone stands. A warm, open embrace suggests friendly terrain and a willingness to explore communication further; a tight, hesitant handshake may indicate the opposite.
So, when Donald Trump stepped onto the debate stage on Sept. 10, and headed directly to his lantern, Kamala Harris’ entry was marked with noticeably elevated confidence and an air of self-assurance as she walked purposefully across the stage and right into the former president’s space.
“Kamala Harris,” she said, extending her hand boldly. “Let’s have a good debate.”
Setting The Tone
There are no rules that obligate candidates to shake hands during a presidential debate. In fact, Harris’ was the first debate-opening handshake since Trump met Hillary Clinton on stage in 2016. It was an assertive power move for the presidential hopeful to extend her hand, and in doing so, she set the tone for the highly anticipated event.
Setting the tone is nothing new for the 46th Vice President of the United States. A trailblazer in American politics, Harris is the first woman and the first woman of color to hold the nation’s second highest office. Her identity as a mixed race woman has been central to her historic achievement, though her lineage and ethnicity have been both celebrated and scrutinized.
Her rise to political prominence represents the defeat of systemic inequities devised to limit the involvement of people of color in political arenas. She represents a shift toward a more inclusive political landscape – one that reflects the diversity of the American populace.
However, Harris’ identity has also been the subject of debate and criticism.
She was born in 1964 to an Indian mother and a Jamaican father who immigrated to the United States in pursuit of higher education. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, originally from Chennai, India, was a breast cancer researcher. Her father, Donald Harris, a native of Jamaica, was an economics professor.
Despite being touted as the first Black and Asian American vice president and Democratic presidential nominee, some critics have questioned whether she fully represents or resonates with the experiences of Black Americans.
In addition to inherent cultural differences delineating Black American and Jamaican heritage, Harris did not grow up in a predominantly Black environment. Her parents separated when she was five years old; after their divorce, she and her younger sister, Maya, were raised in the care of their mother. In addition to speculation regarding a strained relationship with her father, her marriage to Doug Emhoff, a Jewish man, has prompted questions regarding her commitment to the Black community.
Some point to Harris’ record as a prosecutor, attorney general and the first Black American to be elected to the United States Senate from the state of California, arguing that her tough-on-crime policies disproportionately affected Black communities.
During her 2020 presidential campaign, activists and commentators questioned whether she was “Black enough” to represent Black American voters. She responded to these criticisms by emphasizing that Black identity in America is not monolithic.
Her lived experiences, while different from those of many other Black Americans, still connect her to the broader struggles of Black people in America. She has frequently spoken about the racism and discrimination she faced throughout her life, including being bussed to integrated public schools as a child and encountering racism throughout her career.
Rooted In Love
Born in Oakland, California, Harris’ early family environment was rooted in civil rights and education.
Her mother raised the sisters to be proud of both sides of their Black and Indian heritage. She placed a strong emphasis on the value of education as a means of empowerment – particularly for women of color – and encouraged them to excel academically.
As a young adult in the 1980s, Harris attended Howard University, a prestigious, historically Black institution in Washington, D.C., before going on to attend the University of California and Hastings College of the Law. While at Howard, she majored in political science and economics, and became a member of the intercollegiate sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Inc..
After graduating from law school, she worked in the district attorneys’ offices of Oakland and San Francisco before being elected attorney general of California in 2010. After being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016, she advocated for gun control laws, the DREAM Act, legalization of cannabis, and tax and healthcare reform.
Harris’ childhood, shaped by her multicultural heritage, her mother’s activism, and the civil rights movement, laid the foundation for her career in public service. On her webpage, she credits her mother for instilling the importance of standing up for what is right, fighting against injustice, and continuing the “good fight” for those to come. She remembers her words, “Kamala, you may be the first to do many things, but make sure you are not the last.”
Moving Forward
In her role as United States Vice President, Harris’ racial identity is only one aspect of her public image, yet her priority areas – criminal justice and voting rights – have made an impact on historically underserved communities.
As a symbol of progress and representation, she stands as a powerful example of the intersectionality of race, gender and immigration in America. The excitement surrounding her platform and the potential for progressive change has motivated organizations across the country to mount civic engagement initiatives in support of a successful Harris campaign.
“We have work to do,” says Colorado Black Women for Political Action (CBWPA) Vice President, Jamie Jackson. “This is an uphill battle and that takes more than happy feelings; it takes plans and policies.”
The brainchild of former State Senator Gloria Tanner, CBWPA was founded by 13 women to encourage African American participation in the political process. The organization provides political advocacy, infusing Colorado politics with the strength and perspectives of Black women.
The group hosted a watch party for Harris’ historic nomination at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, which came just two weeks after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. Since July, her campaign has raised a record-breaking $540 million, while
Trump’s campaign experienced one of its best months, taking in a whopping $47.5 million in July alone.
Harris is working under an extreme time crunch to persuade voters into believing that she has what it takes to serve as president. For many viewers, the September debate was the first time meeting the political powerhouse. From the moment she stepped onto the stage, it was clear that she had a lot to prove.
Doubling Down
Harris and Trump’s differing approaches to leadership were most evident during their first and only debate.
Trump’s appearance matched his role as an unconventional and unyielding Populist, while Harris showed up as a pragmatic and expressive leader. The former president and financial figurehead appeared as a polarizing figure, with the same swing between stoicism and erraticism he ruled with from 2016 to 2020.
In his previous presidential debate performances, he often dominated the conversation, interrupted opponents and focused on sound bites that appealed to his supporters. However, this debate was heavily moderated, with muted microphones and little opportunity to seize control of the questioning.
Harris exhibited extensive knowledge of each topic. Her answers emphasized factual accuracy with legal undertones honed from her years as a prosecutor. Even when Trump seemed unwilling to look at her, she frequently looked directly at him or at the camera, addressing her opponent and her audience head-on.
She appeared to hold the upper hand for much of the debate, easily baiting Trump on various issues like foreign policy, the attempted U.S. Capitol insurrection in 2021, immigration and the economy.
However, she faced a challenge that Trump did not: explaining to the country what they should expect from a Harris presidency.
Straying from the ideological mission to remake society, she describes her vision as “an opportunity economy” which focuses on strengthening the middle class. She sees the government as a tool for improving lives as quickly as possible through practical means, such as lowered costs for medication, expanded access to healthcare, infrastructure improvements, decreased inflation and support for small businesses.
Rebutting claims that she lacks ideas, she repeatedly touted her economic plan, her work to establish the Partnership for Central America and ongoing foreign policy experience, citing meetings with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and efforts to organize a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Still, Republicans have highlighted Harris’ missteps on immigration, referring to her as the “border czar” for years.
A Clear Winner
More than 67 million viewers, across 17 networks, tuned in to watch the 90-minute debate on ABC, according to Nielsen data provided by CNN.
Hours after the debate, YouGov released a poll showing that 43% of respondents thought Harris was victorious, while 28% said Trump was the winner. Around 30% said they were not sure of a clear winner.
Michael Eric Dyson, an author and professor at Vanderbilt University, proclaimed “Kamala smoked him like a rack of ribs.”
He isn’t alone in his view. Even left-leaning NewsNation’s Dan Abrams and Chris Cuomo agreed that Harris’ hopeful rhetoric is more likely to sway undecided voters.
“He wouldn’t even look at her, which I think is a mistake on a human level,” Cuomo said.
Fox News Chief Political Analyst, Brit Hume, said ‘She was composed. She was prepared. She kept her cool. She saw advantages and took them. She baited him successfully, which is the story of the debate in my view. So she came out ahead in this in my opinion… no doubt.”
The outcome of the debate largely depended on which candidate could more effectively communicate their vision to voters. With the nation in a state of such deep polarization, everything matters. However, despite general consensus, debates don’t typically move the needle for partisan voters like Colorado native, RT*, who maintain their commitment to a selected political party.
“I don’t know much about her,” says RT, who admittedly chose not to watch the debate. He is a conservative voter who typically supports Republican candidates, though he voted for Obama in 2008.
Unwilling to base his vote on race or popularity, he asserts that Black men are not a monolith, saying that more Black men are moving back to the Republican Party due to its embrace of more conservative, Christian views. This revelation is supported by a Pew Research study from 2019, which estimated that 4 in 10 Black Democratic voters were ideologically moderate, with a smaller share being ideologically conservative.
RT is seriously considering sitting out this year’s election, for the same reasons he didn’t vote in the 2016 election.
“I’m tired of feeling like I have to choose between two evils. I’m not voting for Kamala, but I’m not looking forward to voting for Trump,” he says.
For supporters of Harris, the freedom and progressive forward movement represented by her candidacy is a breath of fresh air and a reason to show up to the polls in November.
“This is an electric moment in time where the United States of America has the opportunity to elect its first woman president,” says community organizer and journalist, brother jeff, sharing excitement for what Harris’ representation and ally ship means for his own daughters.
We’re Not Going Back
After its first debate watch party in September, brother jeff’s Cultural Center will host another watch party for the vice presidential debate between Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota and Senator JD Vance of Ohio on Oct. 1. There is no expected follow-up debate for the presidential candidates, who have set out on months-long campaign trails in the race for the White House.
With September’s debate revealing the deep ideological divide lodged between two sides of the American people, Harris’ progressive vision for the future embodies the freedoms that define the country’s founding principles.
Much like her candidacy reflects an acceleration of equity and social reform, Harris’ decision to extend her hand in a traditional greeting gesture reminds us of the importance of presence and connection in the face of adversity.
In her first public interaction with a man who is hated and feared by many, her ability to cross the invisible line onstage with courtesy and confidence was a small gesture that carried immense weight. It was a significant step toward leadership, and an assurance that she is the right woman for the job.
Harris extended her hand to Trump; and now, she’s proudly extending it to the American people.
Editor’s note: *Real name withheld by request
