Kamala Harris’s Father: Her Story About Marijuana Use is Identity Politics

The Jamaican father of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris reportedly blasted her for saying that she smoked marijuana and that supports it becoming legalized, claiming that was she is doing is playing identity politics.

Donald Harris, father of KamalaDonald Harris, an economics professor at Stanford University, said she is harming her family’s Jamaican ancestors.

“My dear departed grandmothers … as well as my deceased parents, must be turning in their grave right now to see their family’s name, reputation and proud Jamaican identity being connected, in any way, jokingly or not with the fraudulent stereotype of a pot-smoking joy seeker and in the pursuit of identity politics,” he said in a statement to Jamaica Global Online.

“Speaking for myself and my immediate Jamaican family, we wish to categorically dissociate ourselves from this travesty,” her father said.

His daughter, a first-term senator from California who launched her 2020 campaign last month, appeared on New York-based radio show “The Breakfast Club” earlier last week and was asked if she opposed the legalization of pot.

“That’s not true,” she told co-host Charlamagne Tha God. “And look, I joke about it – half joking – half my family is from Jamaica. Are you kidding me?”

Later she was asked if she ever smoked marijuana.

“I have. And I inhaled — I did inhale. It was a long time ago. But, yes,” said Harris, whose mother is Indian.

Jamaica Global Online noted the coverage her remark received in the media, displaying headlines like: “Kamala Harris cites Jamaican roots in support of ganja legislation.”

The site went on to castigate her comments.

“So, the perception created by Ms. Harris’ statement is real and has caused some unease amongst Jamaicans at home and in the diaspora and now, it seems, her father and his Jamaican family,” it wrote. “For some, it is more than mere unease; one Jamaican commenting on social media expressed the concern that ‘soon my job will be singling me out to drug test me since I am from Jamaica. What a stereotype.’ Her concern is not unfounded given the experience of Jamaicans travelling to US ports having sniffer dogs around them in customs halls.”