The four-day gathering of Democrats in Chicago came to a historic end when Vice President Kamala Harris formally accepted the party’s nomination for president in the November 5th election.
In her acceptance speech on Thursday night, Vice President Kamala Harris positioned herself as a pragmatic leader ready to unite Americans with a “new way forward.” She cast her opponent, former President Donald J. Trump, as a perilous and “unserious man” whose election could fundamentally disrupt American democracy.
Harris Prosecutes the case Against Trump.
With a commanding presence and a clear, focused demeanor, Harris, a former prosecutor, delivered the most detailed and critical case against Trump she has presented as a presidential candidate.
Throughout her 37-minute speech, Harris emphasized the grave risks posed by Trump’s aggressive behavior, highlighting concerns ranging from reproductive health care to the safety of diplomatic relations, immigration issues, and the health of democracy itself.
“With this election, our nation has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism and divisive battles of the past,” she declared. “It’s an opportunity to forge a new path forward—not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans.”
Harris continued, “I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations, a president who leads us and listens, who is realistic, practical and has common sense and always fights for the American people from the courthouse to the White House. That has been my life’s work.”
Early Childhood
Reflecting on her upbringing with her younger sister Maya, Harris said “My mother was a brilliant five-foot-tall brown woman with an accent. And as the eldest child, I saw how the world would sometimes treat her,” Harris said. “But my mother never lost her cool. She was tough, courageous, a trailblazer in the fight for women’s health and she taught Maya and me a lesson … she taught us to never complain about injustice but do something about it. Do something about it.”
While not explicitly stated, Ms. Harris’s nomination represents a groundbreaking milestone: She is the first Black woman and the first individual of South Asian descent to receive a major party’s nomination. Should she be elected, she would also make history as the nation’s first female president.
