Sen. Kamala Harris, the first Black and Asian American woman to ever be elected to serve as Vice-President made it clear that she understood the historical significance of her vice presidency during her speech on Saturday night.
Sen. Harris spoke of the women who have “paved the way for this moment tonight,” especially “the Black women who are too often overlooked, but so often prove they are the backbone of our democracy.”
“All the women who have worked to secure and protect the right to vote for over a century. 100 years ago was the 19th amendment. 55 years ago was the voting rights act. And now in 2020, with a new generation of women in our country who cast their ballots and continue to fight for their fundamental right to vote and be heard. Tonight I reflect on their struggle, their determination, and the strength of their vision to see what can be unburdened by what has been. And I stand on their shoulders,” Sen. Harris said.
She continued: “And what a testament it is to Joe’s character that he has the audacity to break one of the most substantial barriers that exists in our country and select a woman as his vice president. While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last. Every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities and to the children of our country regardless of your gender, our country has sent you a clear message: dream with ambition, lead with conviction, and see yourselves in a way that others may not simply because they’ve never seen it before,” she said.
Though she did not name Trump in her speech, she drew contrasts between Biden and the sitting President. She said Biden would be “a leader the world will respect, and our children will look up to. A commander in chief who will protect our troops and keep our country safe.”
