Kamala Harris’ ancestral ties to Brown’s Town, St. Ann, Jamaica, trace back to her paternal lineage, where her ancestors were involved in landownership during Jamaica’s colonial period. Among these ancestors is Hamilton Brown, an Irish planter and namesake of the town, who played a significant role in the plantation economy. His involvement in landownership and the exploitation of enslaved labor during that era highlights the complicated and often painful history of colonialism that shaped Jamaica’s social and economic landscape. Harris’ connection to this legacy brings attention to the intertwined narratives of colonial wealth, land, and power in her family’s past.

This colonial history is a reminder of how wealth and influence were often concentrated among a few, while the majority, especially the enslaved, faced exploitation and marginalization. Kamala Harris’ ties to this period of Jamaican history invite reflection on the enduring impacts of colonialism and the distribution of land and wealth in the Caribbean. As the first woman of Jamaican and South Asian descent to hold the office of Vice President in the United States, Harris’ ancestral roots remind us of the complexities of identity, power, and heritage shaped by the colonial past.