This archive report was first published on 30 June 2019.
Published on June 30, 2019, a day after a Democratic Party debate, Senator Kamala Harris found herself at the center of a national controversy.
As one of the top contenders for the party's presidential nomination, Harris drew attention for her strong performance in the debate, but it was not without its costs.
Some far-right social media users launched a vicious attack on Harris, questioning her ancestry and implying she was not an American black woman.
One Twitter account with 90,000 followers, run by Ali Alexander, sparked outrage with a tweet claiming Harris was descended from Jamaican slave owners, not American slaves.
Donald Trump Jr., the son of US President Donald Trump, retweeted the message before deleting it.
Former Vice President Joe Biden was quick to condemn the attack, drawing parallels to the 'birtherism' movement that questioned the citizenship of former President Barack Obama.
'It's disgusting and we have to call it out when we see it. Racism has no place in America,' Biden said in a tweet.
Other Democratic presidential candidates, including Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Pete Buttigieg, rallied around Harris, labeling the attacks 'racist and ugly'.
As the only black woman in the Democratic presidential field, Harris has faced intense scrutiny, but her strong performance in the debate and her unwavering commitment to her values have earned her the respect and admiration of her peers.
