Kamala Harris Shouts Out John Lewis, Mary J. Blige And Black Women In Historic VP Acceptance Speech
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Kamala Harris has officially made history. The California senator was named the new Vice President-elect of the United States this morning (November 7) when her running mate Joe Biden successfully ended Donald Trump’s re-election bid by winning his home state of Pennsylvania.
Harris accepted the win at a rally in Wilmington, Delaware on Saturday evening. After walking out to Mary J. Blige’s “Work That,” Harris opened her speech comparing the historic nature of the Biden/Harris campaign’s victory to John Lewis’ struggle to help deliver the right to vote for people of color.
“Democracy is not a state. It is an act,” she said, quoting Lewis. “What he meant was that America’s democracy is not guaranteed. It is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it.”
Harris also thanked the voters, who not only showed up to the polls, but also organized to make their victory possible.
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“For four years you marched and organized for equality and justice, for our lives and for our planets. And then you voted,” Harris said during her speech. “You chose hope and unity, decency, science, and yes, truth.”
As the first woman — not to mention, the first Black and Indian American woman — to ever be elected vice president, Harris acknowledged the historic nature of her election and credited women and people of color “who throughout our history have paved the way for this moment tonight.”
“Black women who too often are overlooked, but who so often prove they are the backbone of our democracy,” she said.
A century after the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, was passed, Harris stated that while she may be the first woman to hold the office — she will not be the last.
“Dream with ambition. Lead with conviction,” she said. “And see yourself in a way that others may not… Know we will applaud you every step of the way.”
Television news outlets called the election on Saturday morning (November 7) after Biden reached the threshold of 270 electoral votes necessary to win the presidency, shortly after he garnered Pennsylvania and its 20 electoral votes. After that, The Associated Press called Nevada for Biden, bringing his electoral vote total to 290.