Vice President Kamala Harris stood on the stage of the Democratic National Convention and formally accepted the nomination for president on Aug. 22. If elected into the role of president with her running mate, current Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris would be the first woman and the first person of Jamaican and Indian descent to lead the United States of America.
Walking out to thunderous applause and the sound of Beyonce Knowles’ 2016 hit song, “Freedom,” Harris thanked President Joe Biden, spoke to her humble beginnings and the future she sees for America under her leadership.
“America, the path that led me here in recent weeks was no doubt unexpected. But I’m no stranger to unlikely journeys,” said Harris, invoking the story of her mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris “My mother was 19 when she crossed the world alone, traveling from India to California with an unshakeable dream to be the scientist that would cure breast cancer.”
The story of Harris’ mother was a recurring theme throughout the speech.
“She taught us to never complain about injustice, but to do something about it. That was my mother– and she taught us to never do anything ‘half-assed–’ and that is a direct quote.”
Harris said that her father implored her to never be afraid or let anything stop her, teaching her to be fearless.
At a young age, Harris was exposed to the fight for equality through the work of her mother. And the abuse of a high school friend that influenced her decision to go into the criminal justice field.
“I believe everyone has a right to safety, to dignity and to justice. As a prosecutor, when I had a case, I charged it not in the name of the victim, but in the name of the people for a simple reason: in our system of justice, a harm against any one of us, is a harm against all of us,” said Harris. “No one should be made to fight alone- we are all in this together.”
Though Harris received the Democratic nomination during a virtual roll call on Aug. 6, she accepted on Aug. 20 via video from a rally in Milwaukee. She reiterated her commitment to the country and formally accepted the nomination on the DNC stage Aug. 22.
“On behalf of my mother and everyone who has ever set out on their own unlikely journey, on behalf of the people who I grew up with– people who work hard, chase their dreams and look out for one another– on behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on earth, I accept your nomination to be president of the United States of America.”
“This election is not only the most important of our lives, it is one of the most important in the life of our nation,” she said.
Harris spoke on the Republican nominee for president and the implications if he is elected to a second term.
“In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man, but the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious. Consider the chaos and calamity when he was in office but also the gravity of what has happened since he lost the election,” said Harris, calling up images from Jan. 6, 2021.
Many of those responsible for the attack on the U.S. Capitol Building as lawmakers tried to certify election results in favor of Joe Biden– not Trump– are still free or have received light sentences, given the fact that lives were lost as a result of the insurrection.
Harris repeatedly told the crowd that it was time to move forward, together.
“America, we are not going back,” she said, as the audience began to chant the phrase.
“We are charting a new ‘forward’…forward to a future with a strong and growing middle class because we know that a strong middle class has always been critical to America’s success. Building that middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency.”
For the entire length of Harris’ speech, Harris’ Republican opponent hit back via Truth Social, the platform he created when he was ousted from Twitter, now known as “X.”
“She’s talking about the Middle Class, but she’s the one who broke the Middle Class, and made it UNSAFE AND UNAFFORDABLE!,” said Trump, to his Truth Social followers.
Harris promised to create an “opportunity economy” that featured the ability for all to succeed, regardless if the person lives “in a rural area, small town or big city.”
“We will pass a middle class tax cut that will benefit more than 100 million Americans,” she promised.
Still, the former hit back, by saying Harris’ platform included “No specific programs, ALL TALK, NO ACTION — Why didn’t she do it three and a half years ago?”
Aside from the economy, Harris promised to address affordable housing and a woman’s right to choose when it comes to abortion. She also spoke on the war currently raging between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in Gaza.
“I will always stand up for Israel’s right to stand up for itself,” said Harris. “…At the same time, what has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating. So many innocent lives lost, desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety over and over again. The scale of suffering is heartbreaking.”
Harris said that she believes she will be successful in getting a ceasefire agreement signed for the conflict that has continued non-stop since Hamas attacked innocent Israeli citizens in the early morning hours of Oct. 7, 2023.
The vice president said she “will not cozy up to tyrants and dictators like Kim Jong-Un, who are rooting for Trump because they know he is easy to manipulate with flattery and favors. They know Trump won’t hold autocrats accountable because he wants to be an autocrat himself.”
“In the enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny, I know where I stand and I know where the United States belongs,” said Harris, before imploring voters to the polls.
“Let’s get out there- let’s vote for it and together let’s write the next great chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told.”
The final night of the DNC included a variety of speakers from Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey to D.L. Hughley and Eva Longoria. But day four concluded with more than just Democratic party members touting their nominee. An appearance by the former Republican U.S. Rep Adam Kinzinger, of Illinois, was an interesting addition to the list of speakers.
“I am proud to be in the trenches with you as part of this sometimes awkward alliance that we have to defend truth, defend democracy and decency,” said Kinzinger, from the DNC stage. “I was just a kid when I was drawn to the party of Ronald Raagen, to his vision of a strong America, the shining ‘City on the Hill.’ I was a Republican for 12 years in Congress and I still hold on to the label.”
“I never thought I’d be here- but listen- you never thought you’d see me here, did you?” asked Kinzinger, getting a laugh from the crowd.
Kinzinger spoke to his fellow Republicans in saying that Democratic Party members are just as patriotic and invested in protecting the country’s values as Republicans are.
“I’ve learned something about my party too,’ he said. “The republican party is no longer conservative. It has switched its allegiance from the principles that gave it purpose to a man whose only purpose is himself. Donald Trump is a weak man, pretending to be strong,” said Kinzinger. “He’s a small man, pretending to be big. He’s a faithless man, pretending to be righteous. He’s a perpetrator who can’t stop playing the victim.”
Kinzinger openly called out Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol Building in 2021, and told the audience that “Donald Trump has suffocated the soul of the Republican Party.”
“How can a party claim to be patriotic if it idolizes a man who tried to overthrow a free and fair election?”
Aside from elected officials and celebrities, members of Harris’ family came forward in support of her run for president. She was introduced by younger sister Maya Harris, who highlighted the crucial time ahead of the Nov. 5 election.
“We are living in a time when some are trying to divide us, to separate us in ways that make it difficult for us to come together. My sister rejects that view. Where others push darkness Kamala sees promise.”
“Kamala understands we have so much more in common than what separates us,” said the younger Harris sister.
“She knows the measure of our success isn’t just about winning an election, it’s about who we bring along and lift up in the process,” said Maya Harris.
She ended her speech on the verge of tears, as she imagined what her mother would have said if she were alive to see her eldest daughter run for president.
“She would tell all of us to roll up our sleeves and get to work; to elect a leader who sees the potential in each of us; a leader who cares for all of us; a leader who fights for every one of us- our Democratic nominee, my big sister, the next president of the United States– Kamala Harris.”
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