Dear Editor,

Kamala Harris is the first female vice-president of the USA. But is she the first person of Jamaican descent to become vice-president of the USA and enter the race for US presidency? No, she isn’t. She is preceded by George Mifflin Dallas (1792-1864).

This man of Jamaican descent was a supporter of American expansion by way of seizing Mexican lands; the city of Dallas is named after him. George was a leading American politician and diplomat. He was born in Pennsylvania (1792), and like his father, Alexander James Dallas, he studied law and entered political service.

The Dallas family, led by Robert Dallas, MD, owned the area now called St Andrew: over 900 acres with nearly 100 slaves. George’s father, Alexander, was one of the sons of Robert and migrated to the newly independent America in 1783. America was in flux and immigrants like Alexander made sterling contribution to the politics of the emerging power in Philadelphia.

Former US President James Madison appointed Alexander secretary of the treasury. His son, George, who studied at what we know now as Princeton, had early political experience in the area of the treasury and banking. In George’s early political experience he became mayor of Philadelphia (1828-1829) and later a senator, representing Pennsylvania (1832-1833). He was appointed by former US President Martin van Buren to be US minister to Russia (1837-1839) and by another Administration as US minister to the United Kingdom (1856-1861).

George entered the 1844 US presidential race but dropped out because his popularity diminished in his home state. He became the vice-president to the 11th president of the US, James K Polk (1845-1849).

At the end of the 20th century and early years of the 21st century, Colin Powell (1937-2021), of Jamaican descent, became a senior American military leader and politician. He was born in Harlem of Jamaican parents who originated from St Elizabeth. He was educated at City College (New York), entered the US military, and co-opted into politics.

*1987: He acted as deputy national security advisor to former US President Ronald Reagan.

*1988-1989: He was appointed national security advisor

*1989: He was promoted to the rank of general

*1989: He was appointed by former US President George H W Bush as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

*2000-2004: He was appointed by former US President George W Bush as secretary of state.

And now we have Vice-President Harris, who is the soon-to-be Democratic nominee for the 2024 US presidential election. The general narrative of her campaign seems to be ‘the prosecutor vs the felon’.

She has definitely awakened the base of the Democratic Party as the warrior brought into the fight at the best time. Her family roots are in St Ann, Jamaica.

Louis EA Moyston

thearchives01@yahoo.com