The Truths We Hold: An American Journey

Kamala Harris

Jan 2019 · Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Kamala Harris

About this audiobook

A New York Times bestseller

From Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, one of America's most inspiring political leaders, a book about the core truths that unite us, and the long struggle to discern what those truths are and how best to act upon them, in her own life and across the life of our country

Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris's commitment to speaking truth is informed by her upbringing. The daughter of immigrants, she was raised in an Oakland, California community that cared deeply about social justice; her parents--an esteemed economist from Jamaica and an admired cancer researcher from India--met as activists in the civil rights movement when they were graduate students at Berkeley. Growing up, Harris herself never hid her passion for justice, and when she became a prosecutor out of law school, a deputy district attorney, she quickly established herself as one of the most innovative change agents in American law enforcement. She progressed rapidly to become the elected District Attorney for San Francisco, and then the chief law enforcement officer of the state of California as a whole. Known for bringing a voice to the voiceless, she took on the big banks during the foreclosure crisis, winning a historic settlement for California's working families. Her hallmarks were applying a holistic, data-driven approach to many of California's thorniest issues, always eschewing stale "tough on crime" rhetoric as presenting a series of false choices. Neither "tough" nor "soft" but smart on crime became her mantra. Being smart means learning the truths that can make us better as a community, and supporting those truths with all our might. That has been the pole star that guided Harris to a transformational career as California’s attorney general, as a United States senator, and now as vice president-elect, grappling in every role with an array of complex issues, from health care and the new economy to immigration, national security, the opioid crisis, and accelerating inequality.

By reckoning with the big challenges we face together, drawing on the hard-won wisdom and insight from her own career and the work of those who have most inspired her, Kamala Harris offers in THE TRUTHS WE HOLD a master class in problem solving, in crisis management, and leadership in challenging times. Through the arc of her own life, on into the great work of our day, she communicates a vision of shared struggle, shared purpose, and shared values. In a book rich in many home truths, not least is that a relatively small number of people work very hard to convince a great many of us that we have less in common than we actually do, but it falls to us to look past them and get on with the good work of living our common truth. When we do, our shared effort will continue to sustain us and this great nation, now and in the years to come.

Ratings and reviews

This person is NOT what she seems to be! She's a "corporate democrat," did NOTHING to help her own black people - NOT approve body cams for police.

Madam Vice President KAMALA D HARRIS ♥💙is a perfect human being and honorable life I am so grateful and proud to witness.

Lol. Gubmint is great! As long as it's forcing you to do the things I think are right!

About the author

Kamala Harris (kamalaharris.org) is the vice president of the United States of America. Before assuming the vice presidency, she served as a senator from California, worked in the Alameda County district attorney’s office, and was later elected district attorney of San Francisco and then Attorney General of California. The second Black woman and the first person of Indian descent ever elected to the U.S. Senate, and the first woman, Black person, and person of Indian descent ever to hold the office of vice president, she works hard to make sure all people have equal rights, especially kids. She’s married to Douglas Emhoff, and loves being a stepmom to Ella and Cole. You can follow Kamala Harris on Facebook at Facebook.com/KamalaHarris or on Twitter @KamalaHarris.