Day 3 of DNC 2020 highlighted two great names of today; former President Barack Obama and Kamala Harris, who just made history through her acceptance speech.
Kamala Harris gave a very, very powerful acceptance speech on Wednesday, as the Democrats went on with the third day of their virtual convention. She centered on rebuilding the American country, “where all are welcome.”
The daughter of immigrants, her mother being Indian and her father of Jamaican national, told the story of her roots, starting from when both her parents came to the United States separately and eventually falling in love “in that most American way.”
Soon after Joe Biden officially announced his VP pick, claims of Kamala Harris’s ineligibility to run for VP sparked. The news boiled even hotter when President Donald Trump himself allegedly did not attempt to debunk the issue when confronted and instead praised the author-lawyer that wrote that editorial piece on Harris’ questioned eligibility.
Kamala Harris acceptance speech
Senator Harris kicked off her speech by acknowledging the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment ratification. She further expressed the emotional fight that women of color still had to go through even after the ratification.
Standing on the podium of an empty hotel ballroom, political analysts and news outlets have dubbed her acceptance for the nomination for vice president of the United States of America as a historic milestone. She dedicated her acceptance to her late mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris.
In a milestone for US politics, Kamala Harris has officially become the first black woman to run for Vice President. @AmeliaAdams9 #9News pic.twitter.com/CtTVaSd1bE
— Nine News Australia (@9NewsAUS) August 20, 2020
“I keep thinking about that 25-year-old Indian woman — all of five feet tall — who gave birth to me at Kaiser Hospital in Oakland, California.
On that day, she probably could have never imagined that I would be standing before you now speaking these words: I accept your nomination for vice president of the United States of America.”
Harris highlights injustice brought by racism
Further, into her speech, Kamala Harris emphasized that the coronavirus pandemic, though affect everyone, “it is not an equal opportunity offender.”
” Black, Latino and Indigenous people are suffering and dying disproportionately.”
She highlights that this inequality is not a coincidence but, instead, is “the effect of structural racism.” Harris cites the most prominent inequities in the system such as education, health care, housing, and even the country’s criminal justice system.
She mentions the names of the recent victims of criminal injustice—George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
Kamala Harris emphasized:
“This virus has no eyes, and yet it knows exactly how we see each other — and how we treat each other.
And let’s be clear — there is no vaccine for racism. We’ve gotta do the work.”
She then praised Joe Biden, her running mate, for his work and his perseverance to work, highlighting the fact that Biden was the leader that wrote the Violence Against Women Act.
Harris ended her speech by urging the public to fight with confidence and commitment.
Featured image courtesy of lev radin/Shutterstock