Kamala Harris Debuts Another Accent During Detroit Campaign Event
Vice President Kamala Harris once again made headlines after speaking in a brand-new accent at a campaign event in Detroit. During a fiery speech about organized labor, Harris seemed to channel the energy of a soul preacher, telling the crowd, “You betta thank a union member for sick leave. You betta thank a union member for paid leave. You betta thank a union member for vacation time.”
Harris, whose parents are of Jamaican and Indian heritage and who grew up in Canada, has been known to shift her speaking style depending on the audience. Monday’s speech marked the third new accent she’s unveiled since becoming the de facto Democratic Party presidential nominee in July.
Earlier in the campaign, while addressing supporters in Georgia, Harris adopted a southern accent. “And you all helped us win in 2020, and we gon’ do it again in 2024,” she declared, drawing on a southern twang. This wasn’t the first time Harris has used such an accent. During a speech ahead of Georgia’s Senate runoff elections in 2020, she similarly spoke with a southern drawl, emphasizing the struggles many Americans faced during the pandemic: “People who have lost family members, lost time being able to go to work, lost time in terms of our children’s education and the days of their education they have missed.”
Detroit seems to inspire Harris to bring out her varied accents. During her last visit to the city, she told the crowd in a noticeably different voice, “Here’s the thing; the courts are gonna handle dat, we gon’ beat em’ in Novemba. We got’ beat em’ in November,” energizing supporters with her dynamic delivery.
As the 2024 election draws nearer, Harris continues to use her platform to speak on key issues like labor rights. While some see her accent changes as an effort to connect with diverse audiences, others view it as a controversial tactic.