“Right now, we have a president who turns our tragedies into political weapons,” Harris said. “Joe will be a president who turns our challenges into purpose.”
Sen. Kamala Harris made history Wednesday night when she became the first Black woman and the first Indian American woman to formally accept the Democratic nomination for vice-president.
It also marked the first time Black women—often referred to as the “backbone” of the Democratic party—took center stage as a candidate for the White House at a major party’s national convention.
Black women were more likely than women of any other race to vote for Democratic House candidates in 2018, according to the Associated Press. They also rescued Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s lagging campaign during the primary, overwhelmingly backing the more moderate Biden in South Carolina after he lost in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Harris spoke about the political legacy of Black women who helped get the 19th Amendment passed 100 years ago, only to continue to be barred from voting until the Civil Rights era of the 1960s.
“But they were undeterred,” Harris said. “Without fanfare or recognition, they organized, testified, rallied, marched, and fought—not just for their vote, but for a seat at the table.”
Harris has been securing a seat at the table for women of color for years, rising from a district attorney to California’s attorney general to her current role as senator. If elected, she will bring more firsts to the White House as the first woman, as well as the first Black and South Asian American person, to rise to the position of vice president.
Wednesday’s speech was historic for other reasons, too. Harris delivered her remarks to a near-empty room because of the coronavirus pandemic. Instead of thousands of attendees crowding into the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, the convention is being held primarily online. Some speakers have taken the stage in Wisconsin, others have spoken remotely from all over the country, and viewers have watched it all through live streams.
Harris spoke about the importance of family, both the one we are born with and the one we choose as we grow. She mentioned her husband, her sister, and her mother, but also paid special attention to her sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, the Divine Nine and fellow alumni who attended Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Harris noted that family is a value she and Joe Biden share. She mentioned her friendship with Beau Biden, who was the attorney general of Delaware when Harris held the same role in California. Beau Biden died of cancer in 2015, and Harris spoke of how much love was in the Biden family even after that unthinkable tragedy. She explained that over his career Biden has championed legislation that falls in line with his values around family, like the Violence Against Women Act, an assault weapons ban, and the stimulus bill that helped America recover from the Great Recession.
“Right now, we have a president who turns our tragedies into political weapons,” Harris said. “Joe will be a president who turns our challenges into purpose.”
She explained that Biden will help to create a more equitable economy, guide the U.S. on its recovery from the pandemic, and work to dismantle racial injustice.
“That’s the vision that our parents and grandparents fought for. The vision that made my own life possible. The vision that makes the American promise, for all its complexities and imperfections, a promise worth fighting for,” she said.
Harris conceded that the goals she and Biden are aiming to reach are lofty ones.
“Make no mistake, the road ahead will not be not easy. We will stumble. We may fall short. But I pledge to you that we will act boldly and deal with our challenges honestly. We will speak truths. And we will act with the same faith in you that we ask you to place in us,” she said.
She explained that this upcoming election is a chance to change history.
“So, let’s fight with conviction. Let’s fight with hope. Let’s fight with confidence in ourselves, and a commitment to each other. To the America we know is possible. The America we love,” Harris said.
Elle Meyers Elle Meyers is a Congressional Reporter for COURIER where she covers national politics and lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Previously Elle was a beat reporter in Montgomery County, Maryland and she is a native of Portland.
