Here’s the thing: politicians love to talk about principles, but voters tend to pay much closer attention to what those politicians actually do. That’s why the latest reports about former Vice President Kamala Harris and her new California home are drawing so much attention.
According to Fox News, Harris has purchased a roughly 4,000-square-foot mansion in the exclusive Point Dume area of Malibu for approximately $8.15 million. It’s the kind of property most people only see in glossy real estate magazines—ocean views, luxury amenities, multiple wine refrigerators, private golf access nearby, and parking for five vehicles.
Nothing illegal about buying a beautiful house if you can afford it. That’s not really where the debate begins.
The conversation starts when people compare that purchase with years of Harris speaking about race, housing, and the importance of community.
Point Dume is one of Southern California’s most exclusive coastal neighborhoods. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey cited in the report, the area was approximately 94 percent white and about 0.2 percent Black as of 2019.
Now, stay with me.
For years, Harris has spoken publicly about the value of Black communities and what it meant for her to spend time in environments where she was surrounded by people who shared similar backgrounds and experiences.
Speaking to The Washington Post in 2019, Harris reflected on attending Howard University, one of the nation’s best-known historically Black colleges and universities.
“When you’re at an HBCU, and especially one with the size and with the history of Howard University—and also in the context of also being in D.C., which was known forever as being ‘Chocolate City’—it just becomes about you understanding that there is a whole world of people who are like you,” Harris said.
She contrasted that experience with growing up in more predominantly white social circles.
“It was more, for me, about the numerosity than it was the diversity,” she said. “I grew up in a community where there were many representations of diversity. Going to Howard, there were so many! And they’re all in your age group, in your phase of life.”
Those comments have resurfaced because critics argue they don’t seem to square with choosing one of California’s least diverse affluent communities as a place to live.
Supporters, of course, would likely argue that public officials have the same right as anyone else to buy a home wherever they choose and that personal real estate decisions don’t necessarily reflect public policy positions.
Critics see it differently.
They contend there’s an inconsistency between encouraging conversations about racial diversity and community while personally settling in an enclave that, according to Census figures, has very little racial diversity.
The discussion has also extended beyond demographics.
Last year, two non-white surfers who wrote about Point Dume described what they viewed as barriers to access in the community. According to the report, they argued that despite the area’s reputation as a relaxed beach community, social and economic obstacles make it difficult for many Black, Indigenous, and other minority residents to become part of the neighborhood.
