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Donald J. Harris

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Donald Harris
OM
Born
Donald Jasper Harris

(1938-08-23) August 23, 1938 (age 85)
Brown's Town, Colony of Jamaica
Citizenship
  • Jamaica
  • United States
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1963; div. 1971)​
Children
RelativesHarris family
Academic background
EducationUniversity of London (BA)
University of California, Berkeley (PhD)
ThesisInflation, Capital Accumulation and Economic Growth : A Theoretical and Numerical Analysis (1966)
Doctoral advisorDaniel McFadden
Academic work
DisciplineEconomics
Sub-disciplinePost-Keynesian development economics
Institutions
Doctoral students
WebsiteStanford Department of Economics page

Donald Jasper Harris, OM (born August 23, 1938) is a Jamaican-American economist and professor emeritus at Stanford University, known for applying post-Keynesian ideas to development economics.[1]

Harris was raised in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica, attending the University College of the West Indies before earning a Bachelor's degree from the University of London and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. He held professorships at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Northwestern University, and University of Wisconsin-Madison before joining Stanford University as professor of economics. He was the first Black scholar granted tenure in the Stanford Department of Economics.

His 1978 book Capital Accumulation and Income Distribution critiques mainstream economic theories, using mathematical modeling to propose an alternative model for thinking about the effects of capital accumulation on income inequality, economic growth, instability, and other phenomena. He has worked extensively on analysis and policy regarding the economy of Jamaica.[2] He served in Jamaica, at various times, as economic policy consultant to the government and as economic adviser to successive prime ministers.[3][4] On October 18, 2021, he was honored with the Order of Merit, Jamaica's National Honor award, "for his outstanding contribution to national development".[5]

He is the father of US Vice President Kamala Harris and lawyer Maya Harris.

Early life and education

Donald Jasper Harris was born in Brown's Town, St. Ann Parish, Jamaica, the son of Oscar Joseph Harris and Beryl Christie Harris (née Finegan),[6][7] who were Afro-Jamaicans.[8][9] As a child, Harris learned the catechism, was baptized and confirmed in the Anglican Church, and served as an acolyte.

Harris's paternal grandmother, born Christiana Brown, told Harris that she was descended from Irish-born plantation owner Hamilton Brown, who founded the local Anglican Church where she is buried.[10] Hamilton Brown owned at least 1,120 slaves, most of them on sugar plantations in Saint Ann Parish, and was "instrumental in the importing of several hundred labourers and their families from Ireland to Jamaica between 1835 and 1840".[11] Following the passing of the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 by the British Parliament, Brown received a compensation payment of £24,144 (equivalent to £2.89 million in 2024) from the government for the loss of his slaves.[12]

Harris grew up in the Orange Hill area of Saint Ann Parish, near Brown's Town[13][14] and graduated from Titchfield High School.[citation needed] He studied at the University College of the West Indies, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of London in 1960, and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley in 1966.[15] His doctoral dissertation, Inflation, Capital Accumulation and Economic Growth: A Theoretical and Numerical Analysis, was supervised by econometrician Daniel McFadden.[16]

Career

Harris was an assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign from 1966 to 1967 and at Northwestern University from 1967 to 1968. He moved to the University of Wisconsin–Madison as an associate professor in 1968. In 1972, he joined the faculty of Stanford University as a professor of economics, and became the first black scholar to be granted tenure in Stanford's Department of Economics.[17] At various times he was a visiting fellow in Cambridge University and Delhi School of Economics; and visiting professor at Yale University.[15] He served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Economic Literature and the Social and Economic Studies.[18][19] He is a longtime member of the American Economic Association.[20]

Harris directed the Consortium Graduate School of Social Sciences at the University of the West Indies in 1986–1987, and he was a Fulbright Scholar in Brazil in 1990 and 1991, and in Mexico in 1992. In 1998, he retired from Stanford, becoming a professor emeritus.[15]

At Stanford, Harris's doctoral students have included Steven Fazzari, a professor of economics at Washington University in St. Louis,[16] and Robert A. Blecker, a professor of economics at American University in Washington, D.C.[17] He helped to develop the new program in Alternative Approaches to Economic Analysis as a field of graduate study.[15] For many years he also taught the undergraduate course Theory of Capitalist Development. He took early retirement from Stanford in 1998 in order to pursue his interest in developing public policies to promote economic growth and advance social equity.[21][22][23]

Contributions to economic analysis and policy

Harris's economic philosophy was critical of mainstream economics and questioned orthodox assumptions.[24] The New York Times described him as "a prominent critic of mainstream economic theory from the left".[24]

Harris's research and publications have focused on exploring the process of capital accumulation and its implications for economic growth, arguing that economic inequality and uneven development are inevitable properties of economic growth in a market economy.[25]

Harris is said to work in the tradition of Post-Keynesian economics.[26][1] He has acknowledged the works of Joan Robinson, Maurice Dobb, Piero Sraffa, Michal Kalecki, Karl Marx, John Maynard Keynes, Joseph Schumpeter, and W. Arthur Lewis as influences upon his work.[2][27][28][29]

One of Harris's most notable contributions to economics is his 1978 book Capital Accumulation and Income Distribution, a critique of orthodox economic theories that provides an alternative, synthesizing the work of David Ricardo, Kalecki, Marx, Roy Harrod, and others. He employs mathematical modeling to explore the relationship between the accumulation of capital and income inequality, economic growth, economic instability, and other phenomena, arguing that typical theories fail to adequately consider power, class, and historical context. [30][31]

Harris has done research on the economy of Jamaica, presenting analyses and reports on the structural conditions, historical performance, and contemporary problems of the economy, as well as developing plans and policies for promoting economic growth and social inclusion.[2] Notable outcomes of this effort are the National Industrial Policy promulgated by the Government of Jamaica in 1996[32][33] and the Growth Inducement Strategy of 2011.[34][35]

Books

Harris is the author of the monograph Capital Accumulation and Income Distribution, published in 1978 by Stanford University Press.[36]

Harris has also published several books on the economy of Jamaica, including Jamaica's Export Economy: Towards a Strategy of Export-led Growth (Ian Randle Publishers, 1997)[37] and A Growth-Inducement Strategy for Jamaica in the Short and Medium Term (edited with G. Hutchinson, Planning Institute of Jamaica, 2012).[38]

Publications

  • Harris, Donald J. (1973). "Capital, Distribution, and the Aggregate Production Function". The American Economic Review. 63 (1): 100–113. JSTOR 1803129.
  • Harris, Donald J. (1972). "On Marx's Scheme of Reproduction and Accumulation". Journal of Political Economy. 80 (3): 505–522. doi:10.1086/259902. JSTOR 1830564.
  • Harris, Donald J. (1978). "Capitalist Exploitation and Black Labor: Some Conceptual Issues". The Review of Black Political Economy. 8 (2): 133–151. doi:10.1007/BF02689492.
  • Harris, Donald J. (1993). "Economic Growth and Equity: Complements or Opposites?". The Review of Black Political Economy. 21 (3): 65–72. doi:10.1007/bf02701705.

Personal life

Harris arrived at the University of California, Berkeley on the Issa Scholarship (founded and funded by Kingston merchant Elias A. Issa in the 1930s) in the fall of 1961.[39] Later in the fall of 1962, he spoke at a meeting of the Afro-American Association, a students' group at Berkeley.[39] After his talk, he met Shyamala Gopalan (1938–2009), a graduate student in nutrition and endocrinology from India at UC Berkeley who was in the audience.[39] According to Harris, "We talked then, continued to talk at a subsequent meeting, and at another, and another."[39] In July 1963, he married Shyamala.[39]

Harris and Shyamala had two children: Kamala Harris, the 49th vice president of the United States; and Maya Harris, a lawyer and political commentator.[17][39] The couple divorced in 1971.[40]

The children visited Harris's family in Jamaica as they grew up.[13][41]

At some time prior to May 2015, Harris became a naturalized U.S. citizen.[15][42][43]

References

  1. ^ a b "Donald J. Harris, 1938–". The History of Economic Thought. Institute for New Economic Thinking. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Donald J. Harris". Stanford University | Department of Economics.
  3. ^ Patterson, Percival J. (2018). My Political Journey. University of the West Indies Press. p. 220. ISBN 9789766407018.
  4. ^ "Planning Institute of Jamaica Hires Growth Expert". The Gleaner. Kingston, Jamaica. November 24, 2010.
  5. ^ "Prof Donald Harris, father of US vice president, to receive Jamaica's third highest honour". Jamaica Observer. August 6, 2021.
  6. ^ McDermott, Peter (September 23, 2020). "Running mates share a family name". The Irish Echo. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  7. ^ "Who is Donald Harris? Kamala's Jamaican dad is a prominent economist". Loop Caribbean News. November 10, 2020. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  8. ^ Packer, Robert B. (2021). "Foreign Policy during and after Barack Obama". In Shaw, Todd; Brown, Robert A.; McCormick II, Joseph P. (eds.). After Obama: African American Politics in a Post-Obama Era. NYU Press. ISBN 9781479807277. LCCN 2020012642. Biden overtly considered several Black women as his vice-presidential running mates and finally selected US Senator Kamala Harris of California. Harris self-identifies as a Black woman of Afro-Jamaican and Indian (Tamil) heritage.
  9. ^ Shaw, Todd; Desipio, Louis; Pinderhughes, Dianne; Frasure, Lorrie; Travis, Toni-Michelle C. (2024). Uneven Roads: An Introduction to U.S. Racial and Ethnic Politics. CQ Press. Contrast this with former Democratic U.S. senator from California Kamala Harris, who is the first woman of color to be elected vice president of the United States. Harris's mother was India and her father was (sic) of Afro-Jamaican ancestry
  10. ^ Harris, D. (January 14, 2019). "Kamala Harris' Jamaican Heritage – Updated: Reflections of a Jamaica's father". Jamaica Global.
  11. ^ Brown, H. (July 31, 2024). "'Hamilton Brown', Legacies of British Slavery database, UCL Profile & Legacies Summary". University College London.
  12. ^ "Hamilton Brown". Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery. UCL Department of History. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Harris, Donald J. (September 26, 2018). "Reflections of a Jamaican Father". I would go to her shop to wait for the drive home to Orange Hill, as published in "Kamala Harris' Jamaican Heritage". Jamaica Global Online. January 14, 2019.
  14. ^ "Did U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris' Ancestor Own Slaves in Jamaica?". Snopes.
  15. ^ a b c d e "Donald J. Harris Professional career". Stanford University. Archived from the original on April 5, 2015. Retrieved October 12, 2020. Citizenship .. Jamaica (by birth); USA (by naturalization).
  16. ^ a b Donald J. Harris at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
  17. ^ a b c Barry, Ellen (August 21, 2020). "Kamala Harris's father, a footnote in her speeches, is a prominent economist". The New York Times. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  18. ^ "Nominating Committee Members and Editorial Boards". The American Economic Review. 75 (6): 653–654. 1985. JSTOR 1914337.
  19. ^ "Social and Economic Studies | JSTOR".
  20. ^ "Historical Overview". Faculty of Social Sciences. UWI.edu.
  21. ^ Rodrik, Dani; Perez, Carlota; Nesvetailova, Anastasia; Harris, Donald J.; MacFarlane, Laurie; Perrons, Diane (2018). "Searching for an alternative economic model". IPPR Progressive Review. 25 (2): 114–132. doi:10.1111/newe.12107. S2CID 158883249.
  22. ^ "'Better' education, trade breaks hurt Caribbean nations, economist says". Stanford University News Service (Press release). October 19, 1994.
  23. ^ "A new economic plan for Jamaica". Jamaica Observer. March 18, 2011.
  24. ^ a b Barry, Ellen (August 21, 2020). "Kamala Harris's father, a footnote in her speeches, is a prominent economist". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  25. ^ "Who's Who in Economics" (Third ed.). 1990. p. 499–500.
  26. ^ Harcourt, Geoffrey (2006). The Structure of Post-Keynesian Economics. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521833875.
  27. ^ Harcourt, G. C. (2012). "Joan Robinson and Her Circle (2005)". The Making of a Post-Keynesian Economist. pp. 183–200. doi:10.1057/9780230348653_12. ISBN 978-1-349-32988-5.
  28. ^ Steedman, Ian (1988). Sraffian Economics. Vol. I. Edward Elgar.
  29. ^ Howard, M. C.; King, J. E. (1976). The Economics of Marx, Penguin Education.
  30. ^ Jones-Hendrickson, S. B. (1980). "Review of Capital Accumulation and Income Distribution". Social and Economic Studies. 29 (1): 144–146. JSTOR 27861872.
  31. ^ Harris, Donald J. (1975). "The Theory of Economic Growth: A Critique and Reformulation". The American Economic Review. 65 (2): 329–337. JSTOR 1818873.
  32. ^ "National Industrial Policy, A Strategic Plan for Growth and Development". Jamaica Information Service. April 25, 1996.
  33. ^ Gomes, Anthony (August 17, 2003). "The National Industrial Policy revisited". Jamaica Observer.
  34. ^ Hutchinson, Gladstone; Harris, Donald J., eds. (2012). "A Growth-Inducement Strategy for Jamaica in the Short and Medium Term" (PDF). Kingston, Jamaica: Planning Institute of Jamaica.
  35. ^ McIntosh, Douglas (March 22, 2011). "PIOJ introduces Growth Inducement Strategy". Jamaica Information Service.
  36. ^ Reviews of Capital Accumulation and Income Distribution:
    • Kurz, Heinz D. (1979). "Reviewed Work: Capital Accumulation and Income Distribution Donald J. Harris". Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv. 115 (4): 776–779. JSTOR 40438898.
    • Mainwaring, Lynn (June 1979). "Capital Accumulation and Income Distribution. By Donald J. HarrisA. (Henley: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1978. pp. ix + 313. £8.50.)". The Economic Journal. 89 (354): 447–449. doi:10.2307/2231629. JSTOR 2231629.
    • Lefeber, Louis; Steedman, Ian (August 1979). "Reviewed Work: Capital Accumulation and Income Distribution Donald J. Harris". The Canadian Journal of Economics. 12 (3): 545–546. doi:10.2307/134753. JSTOR 134753.
    • Jones-Hendrickson, S. B. (March 1980). Social and Economic Studies. 29 (1): 144–146. JSTOR 27861872.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
    • Baru, Sanjaya (April 19, 1980). "Inadequacies of New Growth Theory". Economic and Political Weekly. 15 (16): 741–742. JSTOR 4368585.
    • Baru, Sanjaya (May 1980). "Capitalist Accumulation and Theories of Growth". Social Scientist. 8 (10): 65–69. doi:10.2307/3516645. JSTOR 3516645.
    • Pashardes, Panos (July 1980). The Journal of Development Studies. 16 (4): 487–488. doi:10.1080/00220388008421774.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
    • Harcourt, G. C. (September 1980). Journal of Economic Literature. 18 (3): 1084–1086. JSTOR 2723980.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
    • Taylor, LeRoy O. (June 1981). "Review Article: Donald J. Harris, Capital Accumulation and Income Distribution (Routledge and Kegan Paul), 1978, 313p". Social and Economic Studies. 30 (2): 164–174. JSTOR 27861942.
    • Menchik, Paul L.; Eloian, Edward M. (October 1981). Southern Economic Journal. 48 (2): 540. doi:10.2307/1057969. JSTOR 1057969.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
    • Glynn, Sean (December 1981). "Profitability and Unemployment". The Economic Journal. 91 (364): 1039–1041. doi:10.2307/2232513. JSTOR 2232513.
  37. ^ Collister, Keith (November 15, 2017). "How the IMF can help Jamaica unleash growth". Jamaica Observer.
  38. ^ Collister, Keith (October 22, 2014). "How to unlock growth in Jamaica". Jamaica Observer.
  39. ^ a b c d e f Barry, Ellen (September 13, 2020). "How Kamala Harris's Immigrant Parents Found a Home, and Each Other, in a Black Study Group". New York Times. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  40. ^ Rani, Rikha Sharma (October 25, 2020). "The Woman Who Led Kamala Harris to This Moment". The Atlantic. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  41. ^ Dolan, Casey (February 10, 2019). "How Kamala Harris' immigrant parents shaped her life – and her political outlook". The Mercury News. Retrieved August 14, 2020. Kamala also visited far-flung family in India and Jamaica as she grew up, getting her first taste of the broader world.
  42. ^ McBride, Jessica (February 21, 2019). "Donald Harris, Kamala Harris's Father: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com. Archived from the original on March 2, 2019. Donald Harris is also known as Donald J. Harris. He was born in Jamaica and is a naturalized U.S. citizen, according to his Stanford University biography.
  43. ^ Chon, Monica (August 12, 2020). "Sen. Kamala Harris's Parents Met During the Civil Rights Movement". Oprah Magazine. According to Harris's 2018 autobiography, Donald was born in Jamaica in 1938 and immigrated to the United States to get his doctorate degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He eventually became a naturalized United States citizen.
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