“She and my father met and fell in love at Berkeley while participating in the civil rights movement.
“While marching together for justice in the civil rights movement of the 1960s.”
After having two children together, Gopalan and Donald’s careers pulled them in different directions.
Donald accepted a position at the University of Wisconsin as Gopalan settled in California with their daughters.
Still, as an immigrant, Gopalan faced many obstacles.
“My mother, who raised me and my sister, was a proud woman.
She was a brown woman.
She was a woman with a heavy accent,” Harris told NBC.
“She was a woman who, many times, people would overlook her or not take her seriously.
Or, because of her accent, assume things about her intelligence.
Now, every time, my mother proved them wrong.”
“She raised us to be proud, strong Black women.
And she raised us to know and be proud of our Indian heritage.”
