In this final installment in our miniseries on the election of 2024, we use history to understand the candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris and the strategic decisions her presidential campaign has made. Labeled by the Trump campaign as an “extremist” and the “antichrist,” do themes of patriotism and religion affect the way Harris campaigns for the presidency under a banner of “joy and freedom”? A generation younger than Trump, and seeking to become the first woman and woman of color to serve as President of the United States, how do generational, gender, and racial dynamics shape the contest? In other words: In this age of identity politics, how does Kamala Harris make her case to the people?

Host: Andrew J. Falk

Guest: Elizabeth Wood

Past is Prologue is a humanities podcast that provides the public with the background behind the day's headlines, and offers much-needed context to understand the significance of current events that people observe around them. It seeks to contribute to the public conversation in an engaging, informative, accessible, and constructive way. It's produced by the Department of History in the College of Arts & Humanities at Christopher Newport University in Virginia. We welcome your inquiries and feedback at pastpodcast@cnu.edu.