Harris Turns Africa Trip Into Political Boost With Black Voters

  • Trip aims to bolster standing at home before reelection bid
  • Harris highlights connection to Africa, family history on tour
Harris speaks at the Cape Coast Castle, Ghana, on March 28.Photographer: Nipah Dennis/AFP/Getty Images
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Kamala Harris’s trip to Africa, at turns eliciting deep reflection from the historic US vice president, offered a chance for her to reconnect with Black Americans whose support is crucial for her and President Joe Biden’s looming reelection bid.

At Cape Coast Castle, a former slave-trading post in Ghana, Harris delivered an emotional address about the painful history of slavery and her own ties to Africa, going mostly off-script from prepared remarks, according to a person familiar with the planning. As she toured the site, she was seen wiping away tears and shaking her head.