After the election of Joe Biden as U.S. president in the 2020 election, Harris became Vice President of the United States on January 20, 2021. She is the United States' first female vice president, the highest-ranking female elected official in U.S. history, and the first African-American and first Asian-American vice president. She is also the second person of color to hold the post. The first was Charles Curtis, who was a Native American and member of the Kaw Nation. 