The Legacy of Little Black Sambo and the Racial Undermining of Kamala Harris’s Identity
How Trump’s Racial Attacks Echo a Controversial Past
By Khalid el-Hakim, Ph.D.
As the curator of the Black History 101 Mobile Museum, I’ve dedicated my life to preserving and sharing the rich and complex history of Black people in America. Among the artifacts I’ve collected are numerous editions of Little Black Sambo, a book that, despite its origins in early 20th-century India, has become symbolic of the deep-seated racial stereotypes that have long plagued Black identity. This artifact, like so many others in my collection, serves as a living archive — a piece of history that takes on profound meaning, especially in light of today’s national conversation surrounding Vice President Kamala Harris’s identity.
Donald Trump’s recent remarks at the National Association of Black Journalists, where he mocked Kamala Harris by insinuating that she “happened to turn Black” in recent years, are disturbingly reminiscent of the racist undertones embedded in the legacy of Little Black Sambo. These comments are not isolated; they are part of a broader, historical pattern of racial undermining that dates back to Trump’s leadership of the Birther Movement against President Barack Obama. However, what is particularly troubling about Trump’s rhetoric is its consistent undercurrent of xenophobia, especially toward people with dark skin.
Trump’s messaging has often relied on stoking fears of the “other,” and his targets frequently include individuals with darker skin tones, whether they are immigrants, refugees, or, in this case, a sitting Vice President. His portrayal of Kamala Harris as somehow not authentically Black is a continuation of his broader strategy of xenophobic othering — a tactic designed to paint those who are not white as inherently un-American or as outsiders. This approach was also evident in his attacks on immigrants from predominantly non-white countries, which he famously referred to as “shithole countries.”
The irony in Trump’s latest attack is profound when you consider Kamala Harris’s heritage. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu — the very region where Helen Bannerman wrote Little Black Sambo over a century ago. Even more significant is the meaning of the name “Shyamala,” which translates to “the dark one” in Sanskrit. Bannerman’s portrayal of a dark-skinned child in her book became a powerful tool in perpetuating harmful racial stereotypes. These stereotypes were later imported into the American psyche, where they were used to undermine and belittle Black people.
The connection between Kamala Harris’s maternal heritage and the creation of Little Black Sambo is striking. Here we have a Vice President whose mother, upon arriving in the United States, resonated deeply with the struggles of Black Americans — struggles that have been historically framed, in part, by the very stereotypes popularized by Bannerman’s book. The fact that Shyamala Gopalan hailed from the same region where this controversial narrative was penned adds an unexpected layer of irony and historical weight to the current discourse. It also underscores how artifacts like Little Black Sambo are not just relics of the past, but come alive in collections and archives that continue to shape and reflect the racial dynamics of our present.
Langston Hughes, in his 1932 essay “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain,” critiqued such representations of Black people and the pressures to conform to stereotypical images. Hughes condemned how stories like Little Black Sambo perpetuated demeaning and narrow views of Black identity. He argued that these portrayals were part of a larger cultural and social system that sought to impose a limiting and derogatory view of Black people, rather than acknowledging their full humanity and diverse experiences.
This harmful narrative was also evident during the Birther Movement, which Trump spearheaded. The Birther Movement was a racially charged campaign that sought to delegitimize Obama’s presidency by questioning his American citizenship. It was more than just a conspiracy theory; it was a deliberate attempt to portray Obama as an outsider, an “other” who did not belong in the highest office in the land. A particularly notorious example of this was the July 2008 cover of The New Yorker, which depicted Barack Obama in traditional Muslim attire and Michelle Obama as a militant, gun-toting revolutionary in the style of Angela Davis. While the cover was intended as satire, it played into the very stereotypes and fears that Trump and the Birther Movement were actively stoking. This image, like the Birther Movement itself, was less about factual accuracy and more about delegitimizing the first Black president by casting him and his family as fundamentally un-American.
This New Yorker cover is another artifact preserved in the Black History 101 Mobile Museum. It stands alongside Little Black Sambo as a powerful educational tool, helping to illuminate the intersections of race, identity, and politics in America. By showcasing these artifacts, the museum aims to educate the public on the enduring nature of racial stereotypes and the ways in which they are weaponized in political discourse. The cover, like Little Black Sambo, is a stark reminder of how Black identity is often distorted and attacked in attempts to undermine Black leadership.
Trump’s recent comments about Kamala Harris are a continuation of this same tactic — an effort to undermine her legitimacy by questioning her identity as a Black woman. His insinuations about Harris’s Blackness are part of a broader strategy to marginalize and delegitimize Black leadership in America. By questioning her identity, Trump is attempting to sow doubt about her authenticity and her right to hold power, much as he did with Obama.
But Trump’s rhetoric doesn’t stop at race; it intertwines with a broader xenophobic narrative that seeks to marginalize those who do not fit into a narrow definition of what it means to be American. Whether through his Muslim travel ban, his derogatory comments about immigrants, or his attacks on Black and Brown politicians, Trump’s messaging consistently positions people of color, especially those with darker skin, as threats to the fabric of American society.
However, focusing on Kamala Harris’s race, rather than her policies, is not only divisive but inherently racist. It distracts from the real issues at hand — the policies she advocates for, the work she does, and the vision she has for the country. Harris’s policies should be the standard by which she is judged, debated, and critiqued. Whether it’s her stance on criminal justice reform, her work on health care, or her efforts to address climate change, these are the areas where the focus should lie.
By reducing Harris to her racial identity, her critics are attempting to undermine her legitimacy in a way that is both shallow and dangerous. This focus on race as a point of attack is not just an insult to Harris — it’s an insult to all Americans who believe in the importance of policy-driven leadership. It’s a tactic designed to divide, to distract, and to prevent meaningful discussion on the issues that matter most.
The fight for racial justice is not just about combating overt acts of racism, but also about challenging the subtle, insidious ways in which racism and xenophobia are perpetuated in our society. It’s about recognizing the connections between a children’s book published in colonial India and the political rhetoric of today, and about understanding that the struggle for Black identity and leadership is far from over.
In the end, Kamala Harris’s story, like the story of so many Black leaders, is one of resilience in the face of relentless attempts to undermine her identity. It is a story that must be told, remembered, and celebrated as we continue to push back against efforts to delegitimize Black identity in all its forms. But as we do so, let’s not forget that the real debate should be about her policies, her vision, and her leadership — not her race.
