Sen. Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic Party’s vice-presidential nomination on Day Three of the virtual convention in a speech that paid tribute to trailblazing women before her, including her late mother, while pledging to tackle the “structural racism” that continues to hold other Americans back, Fox News informed.
“That I am here tonight is a testament to the dedication of generations before me,” Harris, D-Calif., said. “Women and men who believed so fiercely in the promise of equality, liberty, and justice for all. They organized, marched, and fought—not just for their vote, but for a seat at the table.”
Harris, 55, made history as the first Black woman and Indian American woman on a major party presidential ticket. She paid special tribute to her Indian immigrant mother for raising her and her sister to be “proud strong Black women.” And she called out persistent racial inequalities, which the coronavirus pandemic further exposed.
“While this virus touches us all, let’s be honest, it is not an equal opportunity offender,” Harris said. “Black, Latino and Indigenous people are suffering and dying disproportionately. This is not a coincidence. It is the effect of structural racism.”
Harris said the racial inequities are evident in education, technology, health care, housing, job security, excessive force by police and the criminal justice system.
“And let’s be clear—there is no vaccine for racism,” Harris said. “We’ve gotta do the work. For George Floyd. For Breonna Taylor. For the lives of too many others to name.”
In her acceptance speech, the former California Attorney General made the case that her landmark nomination reflects the kind of groundbreaking and inclusive vision of America a Biden-Harris Administration would represent.
“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.”
The daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants who marched for civil rights, Harris said her vision of American is one “where all are welcome, no matter what we look like, where we come from, or who we love” and a country where “we look out for one another.”
“Today, that country feels distant,” Harris said. “Donald Trump’s failure of leadership has cost lives and livelihoods.”
Harris’s speech weaved from her biographic family story and vision for an inclusive America to an indictment of Trump’s presidency.
“We’re at an inflection point. The constant chaos leaves us adrift. The incompetence makes us feel afraid,” Harris said. “The callousness makes us feel alone. It’s a lot. And here’s the thing: We can do better and deserve so much more. We must elect a president who will bring something different, something better, and do the important work. A president who will bring all of us together—Black, White, Latino, Asian, Indigenous—to achieve the future we collectively want. We must elect Joe Biden.”
The nomination for vice president got started with a personal tribute to Harris. Her sister, Maya Harris, her niece, Meena Harris and step-daughter, Ella Emhoff, delivered the nominating speech in a pre-recorded video.
Harris married entertainment lawyer Douglas Emhoff in 2014 and she became affectionately known as “Momala” to his children, Ella and Cole.
A video introducing Harris also highlighted her efforts on the campaign trail to speak out on behalf of people who have been underserved and underrepresented, especially women and people of color.
“The litmus test for America is how we are treating Black women,” Harris says in the video.
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