Vice President Kamala Harris reached out to her longtime pastor, the Rev. Amos C. Brown, following President Joe Biden’s announcement of not seeking reelection, according to reports, which say she requested the pastor to pray for her presidential run.
After the service at the Third Baptist Church of San Francisco last Sunday, Brown, who has led the congregation since 1976, received a call from Harris, Sojourners reported. “She said to me, ‘Pastor, I called because I want you to pray for me, [my husband] Doug, this country … and the race I am intending to run for president,’” the pastor was quoted as saying.
Brown, a seasoned Civil Rights activist and an influential figure in the African American community, shared his favorite Bible verse, Micah 6:8, while speaking to Harris, who is preparing to potentially become the first female commander-in-chief. The pastor reportedly urged her to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your maker.”
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Brown has reportedly known Harris for over two decades. His connection to Harris is deeply personal, which she has publicly acknowledged in speeches.
The vice president’s religious and cultural background is diverse. Her mother is Hindu and father is Baptist.
“She represents a lot of Americans’ religious story, because here’s the thing: Nobody grows up in a straight line with religion in America anymore,” National Catholic Register quoted Anthea Butler, a professor of religion at the University of Pennsylvania, as saying.
Butler observed that, more often, individuals are selecting their own religious identities, which might shift again as they engage in interfaith marriages and support partners from different religious backgrounds.
This dynamic is also evident in J.D. Vance, the Republican Party vice presidential nominee, who transitioned from Protestantism to atheism and then to Catholicism after marrying his wife, a Hindu, in 2019. At the Republican National Convention, his wife, Usha Vance, discussed how he embraced her family’s vegetarian lifestyle. Vance himself shared how her influence has deepened his commitment to his Catholic faith.
Several religious leaders have expressed support for Harris’ candidacy.
The Rev. Freddie D. Haynes III, a pastor who has known Harris for over 30 years, praised her understanding that “Jesus and justice go together.”
The Rev. Michael McBride, a pastor and longtime supporter of Harris and who co-founded the Black Church PAC, said he would expect an end to the Israel-Hamas war if she wins the presidential race.
The support for Harris also comes at a time when her campaign is engaging with voters through platforms like memes and social media to connect with younger demographics.
However, Harris has faced controversies.
In the early 1990s, Harris, then 29, was having an affair with Willie Brown, the 60-year-old former mayor of San Francisco who had been separated from his wife since the 1980s, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. During their relationship, Brown helped launch Harris’ political career by appointing her to two significant positions in 1994: the California Medical Assistance Commission and the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board.
However, Harris has sought to distance herself from Brown, particularly due to corruption allegations against him. In a 2003 interview with SF Weekly, Harris referred to Brown as an “albatross hanging around my neck,” and stated that any corruption would be prosecuted.
