Kamala Harris’ ‘recent accent’ under fire as supporters race to defend her code-switching during speech

Donald J. Trump and others proceed to find ways to discredit Vice President Kamala Harris’s blackness by pushing the narrative that she modifies her accent when she is around certain people.

This is according to the previous president’s statement that she “went black” to sway voters within the presidential election, as well as to resonate with those that criticize Harris’ accent and demeanor when addressing different communities.

This critique got here to the fore again on the 2024 Phoenix Awards, hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Foundation in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, September 14, where the Oakland-born artist delivered a speech to a predominantly Black and Brown audience.

A video has appeared online through which the Democratic presidential candidate greets the audience with the words: “Hello to all my brothers and sisters of the Divine Nine and my sisters.”

Dressed in a blue sequined dress, Harris continued with a giggle: “And to all my brothers and sisters at HBCUs.” Although the clip was short and didn’t capture the group’s response, it also sparked a social media storm.

Her cheerful tone, distinctive laugh, and references to historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) led many to accuse her of lacking authenticity as a 38-year member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

“Kamala’s new accent at the Black Caucus dinner. I can’t make this up. Worse than Hillary. Disgusting and horrifying,” one user wrote on Twitter.

Other criticisms highlighted Harris’s pattern, beating“This is not her ‘new accent.’ This is an accent she has been changing to for a long time to appeal to black voters.”

Harris knows this criticism all too well.

Throughout the campaign, her use of African American Vernacular English (AAVE), or adaptations of speech when addressing different groups, drew each opposition and defense. At a July event in Atlanta and a September speech in Detroit, critics compared her delivery, accusing her of fixing her tone depending on the demographics of her audience, interpreting this as a way to pander to black voters.

Even Peter Doocy from Fox News I asked White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre explained why Harris appeared to speak with a “Southern accent” in Detroit, to which Jean-Pierre replied, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Many others think he has no idea what he’s talking about.

Harris’ supporters, especially within the black community, point to W.E.B. Du Bois concept “double consciousness” and the survival tactic of code-switching—adapting one’s speech and behavior depending on the social context—a typical experience for many individuals of color.

One user defended Harris, explaining“No, that’s how she talks. The voice you’re used to is the one she uses when she has to conform in her workspace to be accepted by her peers who don’t look like her. Black people have been doing this forever. It’s called #codeswitching.”

Another commentator as well as“So what do racist white people need to know? Do ALL black people do this and when I meet a black person who sounds like me they are afraid of me?”

One influencer, 2RawTooReal, chimed in with humor, posting a meme about code-switching and writing, “Code-switching is a dark art. Me at my corporate job.”

The notion that Harris is “acting black” or is being dishonest has been firmly rejected by many who know her, including her sorority sisters who pledged with her in 1986 at Howard University. She is a proud member of the Alpha Chapter of the oldest black sorority and a graduate of one in every of the oldest HBCUs.

Nicole Holliday, an assistant professor of linguistics on the University of California, Berkeley, who’s an authority in sociophonetics, said she has been studying Harris’s speaking style for years and has not noticed anything odd about it.

In an interview with MSNBC, she said those criticizing Harris for code-switching are missing the purpose.

“She sounds black,” Holliday said. “She sounds professional. She sounds female. She sounds Californian, all those things. And she’s pretty much consistent. If you listen to her, she sounds consistently all those things.”

The expert also published a report for 2023 paper“Complex Variations in the Construction of Sociolinguistic Persona: The Case of Vice President Kamala Harris,” published in American Speech, explored how Harris navigates these linguistic waters, showing how her speech reflects her multifaceted identity as a Black woman and a lady ready of power.

Ultimately, Holliday believes Harris’ ability to navigate different linguistic landscapes is emblematic of a bigger phenomenon, particularly amongst black leaders. She even compares the previous prosecutor to former President Barack Obama and the way he had to change his tone when speaking to different audiences.