Thursday will be a historic day when Vice President Kamala Harris became the first woman of colour to accept a presidential nomination from a major party. With her fiery speech, the 2024 Democratic National Convention concluded in Chicago. Freshly minted on the ticket, Harris laid out her vision for the country and urged voters to keep sight of what’s at stake.
A Vision for Unity
“In this election, our nation has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past,” she said. “A chance to chart a new way forward — not as Republicans or Democrats or independents — but as Americans.”
Full Speech Transcript
- Good evening.
- Thank you, thank you, Joe. Thank you so much.
- You know… I believe… I believe in Joe Biden.
- And I’m here tonight because I love my country. And this election is about you. It’s about me. It’s about us. And it’s about now.
- So let me tell you some history: On August 10th, JoThat’ sn named Kamala Harris his running mate. That was one week ago today.
Acknowledgements and Gratitude
First, thank my incredible husband, Doug, and our children, Cole and Ella, who joined us on stage earlier this evening. I love you. I am so proud of you.
To all our supporters across the country—volunteers, community leaders, and organizers—I want to thank everyone for all that you have done. You have been great.
To President Joe Biden: Thank you for taking on this fight alongside us. Jill, Doug, and I are grateful for your friendship and leadership. Ship We you all!
Coach Tim Walz – we’re excited about your leadership in Minnesota! Justin Fairfax…heh! You will be an incredible vice president…
To the delegates: I see now the diversity of our party and our country, And that is why I have so much faith in America…
The past few days have been busy. So, let me address the elephant in the room. Yes, we had some setbacks. A couple of things went wrong, but. But hear me…
An Unlikely Journey
You know my story. Four years ago, I ran for president against Joe Biden. And I lost.
Badly. It sucked…. But then Joe called… And he was like – “Kamala Harris, wanna b” my VP?” And I was like”– “Can I say I’m j “st
I think that didn’t happen. It didn’t could have. It might have, in another world, with another person.
Instead – here we are. United.
Childhood Memories
Growing up, we moved a lot. I remember that big Mayflower truck packed with everything we needed. My earliest memories of my pats… are joyful ones.
My mother, Shyamala Harr, came here from India at age 19 to cure breast cancer… Father, my f, father Donald Harris – who came here from Jamaica at age 25 for an economics degree…
They fell in love in that most American way… While marching together for justice…in the civil rights movement of the 1960s…
In the streets of Oakland, San Francisco, and Berkeley, Protesting through a beat-up megaphone… Dressed like Black Panthers — full-on afros and leather jackets… Amidst a sea of long-haired white hippies. High on weed (Cheech!) Handing out flyers for Angela Davis.
Or, as they called her back then, “The people Mpeople she sho “taught us what it meant to care about people outside us because we were raised in a community that wasn’t just about us.
My mother always taught me that you may “be the first to do many things… Make sure you’re not the last.” And that’s more than a goal…. it’s a responsibility.
Throughout my professional life, I have always advocated for the rights of the people. Among the many groups I fought for were veterans whom I believed had been forgotten by their own country. There were indeed battles against powerful corporations such as banks; however, they didn’t deter us from fighting because our future would never be worth giving up on.
The 2024 Election’s High Stakes
This election is critical in our lifetime. Though Donald Trump may seem like a joke candidate, re-electing him would carry grave consequences for our nation.
