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CHICAGO – While red, white, and blue balloons fell from the rafters at the United Center, Stevie Wonder’s voice could be heard over the arena loudspeakers, “…till I reach the highest ground..”
The final night of the Democratic National Convention saw current United States Vice President Kamala Harris accept her party’s nomination for the presidency. After three and a half years of making history as the first Black vice president of the United States, Harris, who is part South Asian by way of her mother, and Jamaican on her father’s side, looks to make an even greater historic impact as the second ever Black and first female President of the United States.
During her acceptance speech Harris said she wanted to be a president for all Americans.
“To be fair, for my entire career I’ve only had one client: the people,” she said.
Harris took time to thank United States President Joseph R. Biden, her family, her husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff (Thursday was the couple’s 10th wedding anniversary), and the many people in her life that helped her get to that point. That list includes her sister Mya and nieces, god-children, and extended family.
She also took time to answer Republican critiques that said that her campaign rallies failed to address issues that voters want to know her stances on. On the economy, Harris said she will implement an “opportunity economy” upon winning the presidency. She brought the crowd to its feet when she spoke of passing a “middle-class tax cut.”
“The middle class is where I came from,” she said. Harris talked about growing up in Oakland and in the other states that her family moved to when she and her sister Mya were kids. Mya was one of the featured speakers during the evening. So was North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, who called Harris a fighter that America needs in the White House.
During her speech, which began just after 9 p.m. (Central) and ended shortly after 10 p.m., Harris also addressed the border and the ongoing war in Israel and Palestine. A single heckler could be heard screaming, “Free Palestine” during that portion of her speech. Harris promised to make ending that war a priority of the Harris/Walz administration.
“I know where I stand and I know where the United States belongs,” she said.
The state of Georgia was well represented on the speaker front this week. Senator Raphael Warnock spoke on Monday night and Congresswoman Lucy McBath (D-GA 7th District) was one of the featured speakers on Thursday night. McBath, a well-known gun control advocate, spoke about the topic alongside other state representatives. During her remarks McBath said electing leaders like Harris will go a long way to getting gun laws in place that will save lives. McBath was joined on stage by family members of gun violence victims.
Meanwhile, Republican Party vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance was in Georgia on Thursday. The Ohio Senator made a campaign stop in Valdosta, the 18th largest city in the state.
The Democratic machine continued to demonstrate its celebrity and political star power with speakers such as Rev. Al Sharpton, Senator Elizabeth Warren, comedian D.L. Hughley, Senator Bob Casey, and the Pledge of Allegiance performed by Luna Maring, a sixth grader from Oakland, California, Harris’ hometown.
Sharpton said that the night’s proceedings were the realization of former presidential candidate Shirley Chisholm’s dreams, the culmination of the American experiment, and the end of the Trump era.
“If we stay together, Black, white, Latina, Asian, joy, joy, joy, joy will come in the morning,” said Sharpton.
Even legendary actor Morgan Freeman contributed to the final day of the convention by narrating a hype video that played on the arena’s big screens before the Chicks performed the National Anthem.
Award-winning singer/songwriter Pink, who was born and raised in Pennsylvania, a crucial battleground state this election season, performed one of her many hit songs, “What About Us,” on Thursday night.
Pink’s appearance anchored musical and artistic performances by Patti LaBelle, Stevie Wonder, and John Legend, and poet Amanda Gorman during the four-day celebration and coronation of the Democratic Party’s selection of Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
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