“On behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on Earth, I accept your nomination for President of the United States,” Harris declared to thunderous applause from the packed arena.

Vice President Kamala Harris was greeted with a sustained standing ovation and cheers lasting nearly three minutes at a recent event. The enthusiastic reception demonstrated the audience’s strong support and admiration.

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Once the applause subsided, Harris began her address with a brief acknowledgment of her personal milestone. “OK, let’s get to business,” she stated, shifting focus to the day’s agenda. Harris also took a moment to celebrate her 10th wedding anniversary with Doug Emhoff, saying, “And happy anniversary, Dougie.”

Harris followed a moving speech by her sister, Maya, who highlighted their mother’s accomplishments. In her own address, Harris spoke about her parents and the impact of her upbringing, focusing particularly on her mother’s influence. Although Harris seldom mentions her father, she made an exception during this speech to share his advice.

Kamala Harris On her journey from the court room to the White House

“The path that led me here in recent weeks was no doubt unexpected,” Harris tells the crowd just a month after Joe Biden dropped out of the race. “But I’m no stranger to unlikely journeys”, she says, adding that her mother had one as well. “I miss her every day,” she says.

When I think about the path we have traveled together, Joe, I am filled with gratitude. Your record is inspiring, as history will show, and Doug and I love you, and Jill, and are forever thankful to you both.

Harris says her work so far in life has been “on behalf of anyone who has ever set out on their own unlikely journey”.

Reflecting on her parents’ separation during her childhood, Harris recounted the valuable lessons they imparted. “My mother would stay, stay close,” she remembered. “But my father would say as he smiled, ‘Run Kamala! Run! Don’t be afraid. Don’t let anything stop you.'”

“People who work hard, chase their dreams and look out for one another,” she says, leading to one of the most important parts of her speech.

Harris says that “in the greatest nation”, she “accepts your nomination” for the Democratic candidate, and a loud applause erupts from the crowd.

She says she will be “a president who unites us around our highest aspirations”.

“A president who leads and listens, practical and has common sense, and always fights for the American people,” she adds.

“From the court house to the White House, that has always been my life’s work,” she says.

“With this election, our nation has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past. A chance to chart a new way forward. Not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans,” Harris said in her nomination acceptance speech on Thursday night.

She assured viewers of her commitment to inclusivity and leadership for all, regardless of political views.

“I know there are people of various political views watching tonight. And I want you to know: I promise to be a president for all Americans,” she said.

Harris highlighted her dedication to uniting the country and her practical approach to leadership.

“I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations. A president who leads — and listens. Who is realistic. Practical. And has common sense. And always fights for the American people. From the courthouse to the White House, that has been my life’s work,” Harris said.

She also shared a personal story from her high school days, explaining an experience that influenced her career choice.

Recalling an incident when she was in high school, Harris said she started to notice something about her best friend Wanda. “She was sad at school. And there were times she didn’t want to go home,” said the vice president.

“So, one day, I asked if everything was alright. And she confided in me that she was being sexually abused by her step-father. And I immediately told her she had to come stay with us. And she did,” she said.

Harris said this experience was pivotal in her decision to become a prosecutor.

“That is one of the reasons I became a prosecutor. To protect people like Wanda,” Harris said.

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Kamala Harris Speech: Plan for the future

“We are charting a new way forward, forward to a future with a strong middle class,” Harris said. “And building that middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency.”

It’s language we heard often from Biden, who talked about building out the economy “from the bottom up”.

Harris adds a personal touch to the conversation.

“The middle class is where I come from,” she says. “My mother kept a strict budget.”

“We will pass a middle class tax cut that will benefit more than 100 million Americans, instead of a ‘Trump tax'”

“We trust women, and when Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom. As president of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law,” she said.

“Friends, I believe America cannot truly be prosperous unless Americans are fully able to make their own decisions about their own lives, especially on matters of heart and home. But tonight, in America, too many women are not able to make those decisions, and let’s be clear about how we got here,” Harris said, then continued:

Donald Trump handpicked members of the United States supreme court to take away reproductive freedom, and now he brags about it in his words, “I did it, and I’m proud to have done it.” Well, let me tell you, over the past two years, I’ve traveled across our country, and women have told me their stories. Husbands and fathers have shared theirs stories of women miscarrying in a parking lot, developing sepsis, losing the ability to ever again have children, all because doctors are afraid they may go to jail for caring for their patients, couples just trying to grow their family, cut off in the middle of IVF treatments.

This is what’s happening in our country because of Donald Trump. And understand he is not done as a part of his agenda. He and his allies would limit access to birth control, ban medication abortion, and enact a nationwide abortion ban, with or without Congress. And get this, get this, he plans to create a national anti-abortion coordinator and force states to report on women’s miscarriages and abortions.

After all that booing, Harris drew claps by declaring: “They are out of their minds.”

‘We can reform America’s broken immigration system,’ says Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris also promises to strengthen the US armed forces

“America always has the strongest, most lethal forces of the world,” said Harris if she becomes Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces.

She went on to talk about the war in Ukraine – and helping “mobilise a global response” to defend the country against Russia. She says she will continue “to stand strong with Ukraine and our NATO allies”.

On the war in Gaza

“With respect to the war in Gaza. President Biden and I are working around the clock, because now is the time to get a hostage deal and a ceasefire deal done,” she said.

She spoke forcefully against Hamas and the October 7 attack, saying, “I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself, and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself, because the people of Israel must never again face the war that a terrorist organization called Hamas caused on October 7.”

Harris then went on to speak on the devastation wreaked on Gaza by Israel’s invasion, At the same time, what has happened In Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating. So many innocent lives lost, desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, over and over again, the scale of suffering is heartbreaking.

She then went on to declare, “President Biden and I are working to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people realize their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination.”

Kamala Harris for voting rights

Harris notes the importance of voting rights in the US, and she promises to pass legislation that would protect those rights.

“This election we finally have the opportunity to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the Freedom to Vote Act.”

‘America, show them who you are’

Kamala Harris then wrapped up her address to the Democratic convention by again mentioning the lessons she learned from her mother.

“You know, our opponents in this race are out there every day denigrating America, talking about how terrible everything is. Well, my mother had another lesson. She used to teach. Never let anyone tell you who you are, you show them who you are,” Harris said.

“America, let us show each other and the world who we are and what we stand for: freedom, opportunity, compassion, dignity, fairness and endless possibilities. We are the heirs to the greatest democracy in history of the world, and on behalf of our children and our grandchildren and all those who sacrificed so dearly for our freedom and liberty, we must be worthy of this moment. It is now our turn to do what generations before us have done, guided by optimism and faith, to fight for this country we love, to fight for the ideals we cherish and to uphold the awesome responsibility that comes with the greatest privilege on Earth, the privilege and pride of being an American.”

Let’s get out there, let’s vote for it and together let us write the next great chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told.

The convention, held over four days, culminated in Harris’s nomination acceptance. The 23,500-seat United Center was filled to capacity, reflecting significant interest and high stakes surrounding her candidacy.

Harris’s nomination follows Biden’s withdrawal from the race, which came amid pressure from party allies. If Harris wins the election, she will make history as the first woman elected President of the United States.

In her speech, Harris aimed to set herself apart from Trump by emphasizing her commitment to inclusivity and unity. “I will be a president for all Americans,” she vowed, seeking to bridge the partisan divide and counter Trump’s divisive rhetoric.

Earlier in the day, Biden expressed his support for Harris in a phone call, underscoring the collaborative spirit within the Democratic Party. As the campaign progresses, Harris’s acceptance speech has set a tone focused on uniting the Democratic base and appealing to undecided voters nationwide.