Kamala Harris, Race, and the Presidency; Plus, Louisa Thomas on the Paris Olympics
2Digest
This podcast delves into two distinct topics: Kamala Harris's presidential candidacy and the 2024 Paris Olympics. The first segment examines the question of race in the 2024 election, focusing on how Harris's identity as a Black American woman with South Asian heritage might be perceived by voters. The conversation explores how her political strategy might differ from that of Barack Obama, considering the unique challenges and opportunities presented by her biracial background. The second segment shifts to the upcoming Paris Olympics, highlighting three unexpected venues: the Seine River, the Place de la Concorde, and the island of Tahiti. The discussion centers on the challenges and controversies surrounding these venues, particularly the environmental concerns associated with the Seine River and the historical context of French colonialism in Tahiti. The podcast explores the potential impact of these choices on the Games' legacy and the broader political landscape.
Outlines
Kamala Harris and the Question of Race
This segment discusses Kamala Harris's candidacy for president and the question of race in the 2024 election. The conversation explores how Harris's identity as a Black American woman with a South Asian heritage might be perceived by voters and how her political strategy might differ from that of Barack Obama.
The 2024 Paris Olympics: Unexpected Venues and Controversies
This segment discusses the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics, focusing on three unexpected venues: the Seine River, the Place de la Concorde, and the island of Tahiti. The conversation highlights the challenges and controversies surrounding these venues, particularly the environmental concerns and the historical context of French colonialism.
Keywords
Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris is an American politician who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2023. She is the first woman, the first Black American, and the first Asian American to hold the office.
Barack Obama
Barack Obama was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. He was the first African-American president of the United States.
2024 Paris Olympics
The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, are scheduled to take place in Paris, France, from July 26 to August 11, 2024.
Seine River
The Seine River is a major river in France, flowing through Paris. It is a popular tourist destination and is known for its beauty and historical significance.
Place de la Concorde
The Place de la Concorde is a large public square in Paris, France. It is one of the most famous squares in the city and is known for its obelisk, fountains, and statues.
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in French Polynesia, a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It is known for its beautiful beaches, lush vegetation, and Polynesian culture.
Q&A
How does Kamala Harris's identity as a Black American woman with a South Asian heritage influence her political strategy?
Harris's identity is a complex one, and she has been careful to navigate the expectations and stereotypes associated with both her Black and South Asian heritage. She has sought to connect with Black voters through her personal story and her commitment to issues of racial justice, while also acknowledging her Indian heritage and its importance to her identity.
What are the environmental concerns surrounding the use of the Seine River as a venue for the 2024 Paris Olympics?
The Seine River has been a source of environmental concern for many years due to pollution from sewage and industrial waste. The organizers of the Olympics have invested heavily in cleaning up the river, but there are still concerns about the potential for pollution to affect the health of athletes and the environment.
How does the choice of Tahiti as a venue for the surfing competition raise questions about French colonialism?
Tahiti is a French territory, and the choice of the island as a venue for the surfing competition has been criticized by some as a reminder of France's colonial history. Critics argue that the Olympics should not be held in places where France has a history of exploiting and oppressing indigenous populations.
Show Notes
One of the big questions about Vice-President Harris’s candidacy is undoubtedly race. She would not be the first Black President. “I think that most times when people bring Kamala Harris and Barack Obama into the same conversation, they are kind of mistaken—it’s just this kind of wish-casting,” Vinson Cunningham says. But “what they do have in common is a Black father who is not from America. And this brings all kinds of strange things into being . . . in creating a Black American identity.” Cunningham and fellow staff writer Doreen St. Félix discuss Harris’s complicated identity as the child of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, and more.
(This segment is an excerpt from a longer conversation on The Political Scene.)
Plus, the New Yorker sports correspondent Louisa Thomas talks with David Remnick about some of the unusual venues of the Paris Olympics—from the Place de la Concorde and the supposedly cleaned-up Seine to a small reef village in Tahiti.
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