By Suhana Sinha
Cincinnati Herald Intern
Vice President Kamala Harris broke from her itinerary during her visit to Cincinnati on April 30 to do a surprise visit at a local Black Business, The Coffee Lounge in Over-the-Rhine. Leaving the roundtable discussion at the 1819 Innovation Hub on transportation and the economy, Harris decided she needed a cup of coffee and stopped at the Elm Street coffee shop in downtown Cincinnati.
Citizens thrilled with Harris’ presence swarmed sidewalks to catch a glimpse of the historic moment. Located opposite Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, children collect at their school’s entrance to see the first woman Vice President. Shouting across the street, they share a conversation with her. The swarm of supporters and non-supporters stood with their banners, hoping Madam VP can at least see their sentiments.
After waiving and acknowledging the crowd’s presence, she walked inside the store smiling with Mayor John Cranley and his wife, Dena. After a playful exchange with the mayor, she orders a small Wakanda coffee with whole milk. Nervous and excited host Asmara Abraham starts preparing the coffee. At the same time, store manager Tsehai Henry serves it and answers the vice president’s burning question about its origin.
After answering a few questions about India’s rising COVID-19 cases at the airport, Harris departed from Cincinnati for the Capital around 5 p.m.
Whether to get a cup of coffee or show her support to a small Black business, Madam Vice President won hearts at her stops in the area.
