How Kamala Harris protected a friend from abuse and shaped her own career path
Vice President Kamala Harris's high school best friend, Wanda Kagan, recently shared how Harris protected her from an abusive home life and influenced her path to success.
Kagan, originally from Montreal, said Harris's support was pivotal during her difficult teenage years and shaped both their futures.
"When it was announced on November 7, I was so excited. I was jumping around. My daughter was here. We were hugging," Kagan told FOX 5.
The two met at Westmount High School in Montreal, where they bonded over their involvement in a dance troupe called Midnight Magic and various school activities.
They became close friends, with Harris eventually stepping up during a critical moment in Kagan’s life.
"I was going through a very abusive and sexually abusive and physically abusive situation at home," Kagan said. "She knew something was wrong, and I told her when I was in high school. I went to stay with her and her mom and her sister, and her mom helped navigate me through different things of the system."
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Kagan credited Harris and her family for instilling in her the confidence and study habits that ultimately led her to pursue higher education.
"If I didn’t have those studying habits that were instilled early on with her and being part of her family, like she let me believe I was able to go to university, that faith of believing that she instilled in me," Kagan said.
After graduation, the two lost touch but reconnected in 2005 when Kagan saw Harris on Oprah and reached out. Their friendship picked up right where it left off.
"One of my girlfriends calls me up, and she’s like, ‘Wanda, Kamala is on Oprah.’ She’s like, ‘Hi, it’s me, Kamala.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh my God.’ I said I didn’t think you’d call back. She goes, ‘Well, you’re not just anyone.' And then we just picked up like time stood still," Kagan recalled. "I know she impacted my life, that I may not be where I am today had it not been for her intervention back then, but to hear that I impacted her life too, was really, really special."
Harris, reflecting on her own career, acknowledged Kagan's influence on her decision to become a prosecutor.
"A big part of the reason I wanted to be a prosecutor was to protect people like her. And in fact, the vast majority of my career as a prosecutor was about protecting women and children," Harris said during a recent interview.
Kagan praised Harris’s achievements and her dedication to fighting for what she believes in.
"She’s a trailblazer. She’s a fighter. She fights for what she believes in. Anyone can make history, but only a great woman can write history. And that’s what Kamala Harris is going to do. Write history," Kagan said.
Kagan is now attending the Democratic National Convention as Harris's guest, where their story of friendship and resilience continues to inspire others.