Meena Harris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Meena Harris
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Harris in 2021
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| Born |
Meenakshi Ashley Harris
October 20, 1984 Oakland, California, U.S.
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| Education | Stanford University (BA) Harvard University (JD) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) |
Nikolas Ajagu
(m. 2014) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) |
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| Relatives | Family of Kamala Harris |
Meenakshi Ashley Harris (born October 20, 1984) is an American lawyer, author, and theater producer. She is known for her work in different fields.
Meena Harris won a Tony Award for helping produce a play called A Strange Loop. She was also nominated for another play, Suffs. She has written several children's picture books. Her first book, Kamala and Maya's Big Idea (2020), was based on a true story about her mother, Maya Harris, and her aunt, Kamala Harris. Kamala Harris is currently the 49th vice president of the United States.
In 2017, Meena Harris started the Phenomenal Woman Action Campaign. This group creates special clothing to help raise money and awareness for different charities.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Meena Harris was born on October 20, 1984. Her mother, Maya Harris, is a lawyer and an expert in public policy. Her aunt, Kamala Harris, is the current Vice President of the United States.
Meena's grandmother, Shyamala Gopalan, was an Indian-American cancer researcher. She was also a civil rights activist. Her grandfather, Donald J. Harris, is a Jamaican-American professor of economics at Stanford University. He was also a civil rights activist.
Meena Harris went to Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland. She earned her bachelor's degree from Stanford University in 2006. Later, she received her law degree (called a Juris Doctor) from Harvard Law School in 2012.
Career Highlights
Phenomenal Company
In 2017, Meena Harris started a fashion company called "Phenomenal." She was inspired by a famous poem from 1978 called Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou.
The company grew to include the Phenomenal Woman Action Campaign. This organization works to bring attention to important social issues. These issues include getting good education and fair healthcare for everyone. They also focus on improving the justice system and making sure men and women are treated equally in science and technology.
Many famous people have supported the campaign. These include Serena Williams, Jessica Alba, Mark Ruffalo, and Viola Davis. Meena Harris also runs Phenomenal Media for written stories and Phenomenal Productions for videos. In 2020, she announced she would launch a production studio with Brad Jenkins.
Children's Books
Meena Harris has written several popular books for children. In 2020, she released her first picture book, Kamala and Maya's Big Idea. This book tells the real-life story of her mother, Maya Harris, and her aunt, Kamala Harris.
Her second children's book, Ambitious Girl, came out in January 2021. Her third book, A Is for Ambitious, was released in March 2023. Both of these books were published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
Political Work
Meena Harris has also worked in politics. During Kamala Harris's campaign for the U.S. Senate in 2016, Meena was a senior advisor. She helped with policy and communications.
From 2016 to 2017, she also served as a commissioner. This means she was part of a group that advised the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women.
Other Roles
Before her current work, Meena Harris held other important positions. She was the Head of Strategy & Leadership at Uber. Her stepfather, Tony West, is the chief legal officer there. She also worked for a law firm called Covington & Burling. She worked for software companies like Slack Technologies and Facebook as well.
Personal Life
Meena Harris married Nikolas Ajagu in 2014. He works at Facebook, managing partnerships for their advertising technology. They have two daughters together.
Meena Harris is a Hindu.
See also
In Spanish: Meena Harris para niños
