to take the nation's highest office. he attended mass this morning. a sunday routine of his. the president-elect went to the gravesite of his late son beau. transition work mile is running at full steam. president trump spent a second straight day on the golf course. he is angry and defiant vowing to challenge. tomorrow president-elect joe biden will unveil his coronavirus task force. it is expected to be made of of 12 people and something biden has repeatedly emphasized, something he will rely on. science when it comes the containing the pandemic west spoke to abc7 news special correspondent dr. patel about the importance in what is clearly a fundamental shift in addressing covid-19. >> we can trust a science-driven task force to not spread rumors about unvalidated studies or

unfound cures or treatments that might get people's hope up for no reason. and that leads to bad outcomes. >> there are more than 10 million cases nationwide joe biden thanked a lot of people for his 56th resupport. among them transgender community. bay area activists tell abc7 news report he cornell bernard after years of being targeted by the trump administration, it's a new day. >> it was definitely a relief. >> reporter: the transgender activist honey mahogany was watching joe biden's victory speech on saturday. >> i'm proud of the campaign we built. i'm proud of the coalition we put together. gay, straight, transgender. >> reporter: the support was huge. >> it was intentional, direct, and we all heard him. we are celebrating this moment for the fact it is an historic moment. >> reporter: mahogany was

reeptly elected to the democratic committee. >> the first black trans woman elected in the state of california. >> reporter: the transgender community has been targeted by president trump. first a controversial military policy essentially banning trans individuals from serving. >> a very confusing issue for the military. and i think i'm doing the military a great favor. >> reporter: there were also attempts to restrict health care and homeless shelters. >> the tra, they've been disman our basic human rights and very existence. >> reporter: the activist is hoping it will change. >> i'm still digesting it myself. what it means to be affirmed about by this new administration which we've been craving after the last four years of the horrible rhetoric. >> reporter: honey mahogany is cautiously optimistic about the future. >> we know our history and we know we've been here before.

we are ready to keep fighting and putting pressure on democrats. on all elected officials to make sure the most marginalized are brought to the table. >> reporter: abc7 news. >> far kamala harris is about to become the first black and the first asian woman elected to the vice presidency. her journey began in oakland and berkeley. from there she went on to become san francisco's district attorney. california's attorney general and u.s. senator. here's abc7 news report he julian glover with this abc7 documentary. >> i wanted someone strong and ready to be president on day one. >> will you pronounce your name? >> kamala. >> kamala. >> kamala harris. >> it's really inspiration. knowing that she was born in oakland -- >> she's from here. she knows what we go through. >> kamala has come from this neighborhood. she knows the steps from below to up high. >> do not be constrained by tradition. do not listen when they say it can't be done. >> she comes at a time when a

lot of doors are opening. and she's not afraid to walk through them. >> it is about having new leadership. we can have change. >> i think it is a journey that is an inspiration. >> it means a lot for an african-american to be in office, making a change. >> i feel a sense of responsibility to stand up and fight. >> she has a lot of important work to do. >> the work is just starting. let's get going. >> your next vice president of the united states. kamala harris. >> that's what my mother said. she said kamala, you may be the first to do many things. make sure you're not the last. >> the road to the white house for kamala harris started here on. this block. browning and bancroft in west berkeley. >> this is west berkeley. this is my house where i grew up. 2236 browning street. because of the red lining in the bay area, they ended up here in west berkeley which was

predominantly black, brown, immigrant community. lots of caucasians here, too, but a very integrated neighborhood. >> reporter: not far from neighboring ole to the birth place of the black panther party just two years after kamala's birth in 1964. not far from the university of berkeley, one of the premiere academic institutions of the u.s. it would mold the future vice president. >> the black panther had a breakfast program down the street at the campus so we would see huey all the time. what i remember about kamala is that she was very kind. i remember her taking care of maya. she was very attentive. >> reporter: a strength she inherited from her mother. a gifted would that well a sharp mind who bravely emigrated to

study at uc berkeley in 1958 at a time when few women were in the field. even more rare, an immigrant woman of color. shamala would connect her with her name meaning lotus flower. growing underwater with flowers rising above the surface. a root planted firmly in the river's bottom. shamala, her father, were protesting during the civil rights movement. he also emigrated from jamaica and was a brilliant scholar who would go on to teach economics at stanford university. her only sibling, sister maya, was born three years after she was. a couple years after maya's birth, their parents separated making the young girls incredibly close. the younger hair also an attorney would have a major attorney on kamala's life and political career. a life filled with firsts. >> there was a little girl in california who was part of the

second class to integrate her public excuse, and she was bused to school every day. and that little girl was me. >> we were close to the bus stop. sometimes we always ended up running. kamala brought it up on the debate stage and said she was in the second class of kids that integrated into the berkeley public school, it hit me so hard. wow, i didn't realize that. wasn't something i even thought about. it was something i enjoyed. i got a great education at thousand oaks. >> the bus ride was probably about 30 to 40 minutes. you can see the change as we drive through. this is what we saw, too. sitting on the bus. >> this is where kamala and myself, my sisters and maya, we all went to school here. >> in her memoirs, the truths we hold, harris celebrates the diversity made possible by what she calls a national experiment

in desegregation, sending working class black kids in one direction and wealthier white kids in the other. that diversity is woven into the fabric of her identity. a that suer power of sorts as she broke barrier after barrier. >> my mother used to have a saying, she would say you may be the first to do many things. make sure you're not the last. >> she is proud to be a black woman. she is proud about her indian heritage and she claims them both. and she has lots of clues, implicit and and police about it her pride and joy in to those groups. >> her life experiences would become even more diverse when kamala was in middle school. hadder mother moved her and the two girls to montreal, canada. she accepted a teaching opportunity. she was 12 at the time. she he finished middle and high school in montreal visiting the bay area for summer breaks and holidays.

in the early '80s, harris moved back to the states and took her first lap around the nation's capital studying economics in washington, d.c. at howard university. howard is often referred to as the mecca, signifying its place as one of the most illustrious black universities in the entire country. >> it is a school where african-americans and people go to. we have definitely been blessed to have had her on part of her journey, making sure that she was very well equipped and well prepared but also, her confidence as she said for the next step. >> could you do anything. you didn't have to be confined by what it means to be black. >> sitting on that supreme court

was thurgood marshall. she would have cracked that ceiling with a hammer. >> this is a fight to define what kind of country we are. and it is a fight to determine what kind of country we will be. and it is a fight to determine whether we are willing to stand up for our deepest values. because let's be clear. we are better than this. >> she would pledge her last semester senior year gaining a greater sisterhood. the first historically african-american greek lettered sorority founded on howard's campus. harris graduated in 1986. by now, d.c. was known as chocolate city for its majority african-american population reflected in its culture. the mayor was black, black arts

and busineses flourished and for the first time in her life, harris found herself in the majority. she then returned to the san francisco bay area deciding to pursue a career in the legal field. she attended the university of california hastings in san francisco for law school where in her second year, she became the president of the black law students association. she earned her law degree in '89. by 1990, she was a deputy district attorney for alameda county. working for the people in her home town. where her representation alone would go on to inspire many. >> i first met her. it was a long time ago. she was working at the alameda county district attorney's office. it was really great to see really an african-american woman involved. and she was a prosecutor, she was someone people respected, well known. so just from afar, i always admired her. i would describe her as

determined, intelligent, fun, interesting, and also, she's been a mentor but she's more like a mother. so i think so appropriate. she tries to find out what is going on with you and are you taking care of yourself? >> reporter: as a san francisco columnist, i've been covering the politics of the bay area for as long as i can remember. maybe too long. when you first met her, you knew something was there. there was an intelligence, a vibrancy and that essential ingredient in all success. there's no question she made the most of her contacts in san francisco. the leading is former player willy brown. she would later date him briefly.

he also sort of introduced her to the nonhill set and the pacific heights set. they are financiers of the political machine of san francisco. a key ingredient in that. and along with gavin newsom and willy brown, she became part of that as well. >> never underestimate kamala harris. she has been a winner each and every time she has sought public office. >> after eight years in alameda county, she would cross the bay in san francisco to become assistant district attorney. after two years, she left the job. then working in san francisco city hall under the city attorney louise, one of her first supporters when she chiled her old boss in 2002 to become san francisco d.a. it would be harris' first time appearing on a ballot. in order to run the office, showed the run for office. as she said in her memoir. >> as i hold the office of district attorney of the city and county of san francisco --

>> of district attorney of the city and county of san francisco -- >> congratulations. >> this was her office. when we moved in, harris had moved out all the furniture. we walked in. he had at her office left nothing. so she worked like this. it was like a chair and a phone for two weeks. kamala harris had served in the office as district attorney. we never had a woman, never had a person of color. very few places in california or for that matter, across the united states, had ever had a female d.a. and a lot of people at the time were like, we should not do that. do not go up against this incumbent. she's like, i'll going for it. >> that has been the theme of this campaign. he doesn't prosecute anybody. >> and put my name out there. and ran for d.a. people always underestimate how hard she works. >> i remember so clearly walking into the first california

district attorney's association meeting kamala. and she starts talking about recidivism reduction and reentry services, and the vision that she had for the office. and i remember some people looking in the room, like what has happened here? who is this person? >> immediately after winning, she faced her first political crisis when isaac espinosa, a san francisco police officer, was gunned down, that she wouldn't seek the death penalty for the person who did it. >> i have been very clear that i am not seeking the death penalty as district attorney because life without possibility of parole is a severe consequence. >> and that sent a chill right down her and police officers association, and even got her a very public sort of reprimand from dianne feinstein at the funeral. that was one of the key chilly moments of her career. at the end of her earn the you're, violent crime was down, murder and manslaughter numbers

were cut in half and burglary and aggravated assault dropped by double digits. >> i think people get it wrong. they said she's a prosecutor. she tried to lock up a lot of black and brown people and that's not entirely accurate when you look at the details of what was happening in san francisco at the time. and also, some of the innovative programs she pushed for to give people a second chance. >> she worked to get people back on track instead of incarcerated. next, her political ambitions would take her to statewide office. electing her to attorney general of california in 2010. >> for being a voice, a new voice in the process, in the way we believe we should be inclusive as a party recognizing that we have a big tent, which means we welcome those whom we may not have seen in the tent

before and we value their contribution. >> that was the closest race of her life. and wasn't decided on election night. it took weeks of recounting. >> after weeks of vote counting and a swinging tally, her challenger conceded handing the headline to a long list of firsts. the first african-american, the first woman and the first asian-american. she would get there as a political ally, also no stranger to firsts. >> obama after he won the senate seat, one of the first trips was right their san francisco to do a fund-raiser for kamala. he randal for president. she was one of the first ones to support him. she was the first elected in california to stand with him. >> what a lot of people don't realize. is that kamala has this decision on support barack obama which was genuine. it was a genuine connection. some of her key donors were big hillary clinton people and they

did not like the idea. during her time as attorney general she decided the state's use of the death penalty, despite opposing it years earlier as san francisco district attorney but also fought. >> the wedding bells are about to ring. >> during her tenure as california's top cop, she focused on school truancy by pushing criminal penalties for parents of children missing from school. a policy from her days as d.a. her team also improved dna testing to clear back-up state crime labs and rape test kits. there would be bias training for police officers, support officers wearing body cameras and collecting data on people shot and killed by police. >> she got to pick and choose

what she was going to do. she does that well. so she evolves over time. and adapts with that. >> soon, her voice would have a much larger platform. >> i will not be running for the senate in 2016. >> no exploratory committees for kamala harris. in her facebook announcement this morning, she said i'm launching my campaign to be a voice for the people of california in the united states senate. >> harris was material favorite. >> thanks to major endorsementes from then california governor jerry brown, outgoing president barack obama, and his vice president joe biden. >> when she ran, that was almost considered like, is this the right move? at the time it appeared hillary clinton was going to be the president and kamala harris, by being the newly elected senator from california, was going to be

in the back. like would not be heard of for years could come. what happened was on election night, it wasn't hillary clinton. it was donald trump. she made that infamous, we will resist. we will fight. she was the voice that came out of west that night to the country and the world. >> do we retreat or do we fight? i say we fight. i intend to fight. i intend to fight for black lives matter. i intend to fight for truth and transparency and trust. i intent to fight for a woman's access to health care and reproductive health rights. i intend to fight against those naysayers who suggest there is no such thing as climate change. i intend to fight for our environment. i intend to fight for the civil rights of all people including those that we always fought for in terms of allowing them on marry the person they love.

i intend to fight. >> and it was immediately picked up. who is this person this california? and she instantly became one. leaders of the resistance. and that moment created the kamala harris that is today. >> reporter: and the senate she put her prosecutorial prowess front and center, often making headlines and grabbing national attention. >> it is incumbent of the attorney general of the united states to fight for the civil rights of all people. >> i think you're thinking of someone and you don't want to tell us. >> it would make her a household name even if people tripped over it. with her election to the senate, she shattered another glass ceiling becoming the first indian american woman and second whack wom black woman to serve as a senator. and two years later she was ready to shatter expectations

again. >> i am running for president of the united states. and i'm very excited about it. i'm running for president because i love my country. i love my country. i'm running to be president of the people, by the people, and for all people. >> despite strong debate performances -- >> that's why we need to fast equality act -- >> and despite crossing the biggest hopefuls in american history she randal out of money, ending her bid for the was. >> wits deep regret but also with deep gratitude that i am suspending our campaign today. but i want to be clear with you. i am still very much in this fight. >> biden won democratic's nomination and the back drop, racial tensions filled into the streets filled by high profile

police killings of black people. the response, a short list of running mates had and women of color. he included harris, noted on a pad, do not hold grudges. >> i had a feel for weeks leading up to it. something just told me, i just felt that it would be her. we were each other's first friend back when we were about five years old. kindergarten. she could not have made it as far as she has without dealing with just unimaginable obstacles and challenges every step of the way. and she's a fighter. she holds true to herself. >> hi, hi, hi. sorry to keep you. >> that's all right. are you ready to go to work? >> oh, my god. i am so ready to go to work. >> maybe about an hour or two before the announcement, carol texted me.

we were just sending little text messages back and forth. fingers crossed and praying and that kind of thing. and all of a sudden, both my work phone and my personal cell phone just started blowing up. i was overwhelmed. crying tears of joy. >> let me introduce to you for the first time your next vice president of the united states, kamala harris. >> the junior senator became the first black and first south asian woman to appear on a party ticket in u.s. history. the announement stole the headlines, trended on social media, and deeply touched the hearts and souls of so many. >> if on november 4th, we wake up with a vice president harris. what will that mean to you as someone who knows her? what will that mean to you as a black woman? >> excuse me.

it's very personal. it's amazing. and it really shows what people of color have the capability to do if they're given a chance. and it is very, very, i'm very proud. and i'm excited for the possibilities. >> and i think that's another thing that has been heavy on her shrouds at times, given the barriers she's broken through, but also this possibilities. she's representing all the young black and indian girls. she's representing so many women who look at her on that debate stage and say wow, there she is. >> she spent the time under attack taking on trump and pence head on. >> i'm speaking.

i'm speaking. >> we have seen a pattern of this administration, they don't believe in science. and joe's plan is about saying we'll deal with it but we'll also create jobs. donald trump when asked about the wildfires in california, and the question was, the science is telling us this. do you know what donald trump said? science doesn't know. >> she turned heads with her swag on the campaign trail. the music choices -- ♪ >> the shoe choices. and her cooking. the entire time her husband doug cheering her on. her determination and drive, helping secure the presidency for the former vice president, joe biden. >> all across the nation, little girls woke up, especially little black and brown girls who so often feel overlooked today, just maybe they're seeing themselves for the first time in a new way.

>> how would you say she walks into it? >> rather comfortably. rather comfortably. i think she walks in very, very comfortably. >> i say job well done. i say thank you for a job well done. >> i'm going to do something to her that she does all the time. i'm going on get to say madam vice president. congratulations. >> kamala harris as african-american woman. i'm an african-american woman. we're both in politics. we both fight for our communities. it is like i'm seeing myself in this administration. >> having gone to howard myself and following sort of in her footsteps, i think it has been something to really watch and see just how much she's been able to do. >> as a black woman at hastings in law school, it really does feel like the skies are the

limit. >> think about all those young women, suing her. a woman of color. black and south asian little girls. breaking with their scripts, their expectations about who can be presidential or vice presidential. >> i'm so proud of you. you are the vice president of the united states of america. that i know you're going to get it it's rising. the pain is coming. a fan-favorite venue ever since they got gig-speed internet. xfinity gives them the ultimate home field advantage. it's their 12th man. protector... hey, amy? want to grab a seat? julie, we're live.

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