At the Democratic National Convention (DNC), actress Kerry Washington teamed up with Kamala Harris’ grandnieces to teach the audience how to pronounce the Vice President’s name correctly.
Kerry Washington, known for her roles in Scandal and active political advocacy, appeared on stage alongside Vice President Kamala Harris’ adorable grandnieces. Washington and the young girls broke down the pronunciation of “Kamala” in a way that was both entertaining and understandable to the audience.
Onstage, the actor aimed at Republicans who, she claims, purposefully mispronounce the name of the Democratic nominee. Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly mispronounced and mocked Harris’ first name, including during a July 24 rally in Charlotte.
“It’s come to my attention that there are some folks who struggle or pretend to struggle with the proper pronunciation of our future president’s name,” Washington said. “So hear me out. Confusion is understandable. Disrespect is not. So tonight, we are going to help everyone get it right.”
Washington introduced Harris’ grandnieces Amara and Leila onto the stage to correctly pronounce “Kamala.”
8-year-old Amara appeared in a pink pantsuit, while her 6-year-old sister Leela wore a light blue frilly dress. They are the daughters of Harris’ niece, Meena Harris.
“First, you say ‘comma’ like the Comma in a sentence,” Amara said.
“Then you say ‘la’ like la-la-la-la-la,” added Leela.
“OK, let’s practice,” Washington said, asking the DNC audience to chant the name.
Amara pointed to stage left and said, “Everybody over here says comma!”
Leela turned to stage right and said, “Everybody over here say la!”
The United Center roared in response — “Comma! La!”
This light-hearted yet significant moment at the DNC resonated with many, and the clip quickly went viral. Social media users praised Washington and the Harris family for the creative and engaging way they addressed the issue.
“I’m so glad they did this because it bothers me so bad when people pronounce it wrong 😭😭😭,” one user wrote.
Another fan added, “When Isay The DNC is doing its thing! They have done their job of introducing and making us fall in love with this Harris/Walz Ticket! How can you not feel the hope?”
“Seeing Kerry Washington on stage makes me want to rewatch all the seasons of Scandal,” another fan commented.
The mispronunciation of Kamala Harris’ name has been a recurring issue since she stepped onto the national stage; most notably, her now-rival and Republican candidate, Donald Trump, takes pride in mispronouncing her name, frequently using it to dismiss her as a competitor.
