During Thursday night’s Democratic National Convention, host Kerry Washington, alongside Kamala Harris‘ grand-nieces, Amara and Leela Ajagu, addressed the correct pronunciation of the Vice President’s name.
In a playful yet poignant segment, the trio tackled the challenge of pronouncing Kamala Harris’ name—a challenge that has sparked confusion and debate among some.
With a mix of charm and seriousness, Washington addressed the convention audience, acknowledging the common mispronunciations of Harris’ name. “It’s come to my attention that there are some folks who struggle—or pretend to struggle—with the proper pronunciation of our future president’s name,” she said. “Confusion is understandable. Disrespect is not!”
In an endearing display of family unity and educational intent, the young Ajagu sisters stepped up to demonstrate the correct pronunciation of “Kamala.” Their explanation was both simple and memorable: “First you say comma, like a comma in a sentence,” Amara began, with Leela chiming in, “Then you say la, like lalalala!”

The audience responded with enthusiastic participation as the girls led a chant: “Everybody over here say, comma! Everybody over here say, la!” The playful interaction not only engaged the crowd but also served as a gentle reminder of the importance of respect and accuracy, especially when addressing a historic figure like Harris, the first woman of color nominated by a major party to be president.