Harris calls on Black women to vote in the “most existential, consequential” election .Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a powerful keynote speech at the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.’s biennial convention, urging Black women voters to take action and exercise their collective power in the upcoming election. Harris, a member of the sorority herself, emphasized the significance of leadership and the importance of shaping the future.
“The leaders of Alpha Kappa Alpha have stood up, spoken out, and done the work to build a brighter future for our nation,” Harris said, acknowledging the sorority’s role in her own life and in the 2020 election. “In 2020, you helped elect Joe Biden president of the United States, and me as the first woman elected vice president of the United States.”
Harris emphasized the importance of reproductive rights, educational rights, and social justice, issues that are critical to the sorority and its members. She announced the Biden administration’s creation of national health and safety standards for maternal care, a move that will require hospitals to provide life-saving medical equipment to new mothers.
The vice president also denounced Project 2025, a conservative group’s plan to reshape the federal government and American life. “Trump advisors have created a 900-page blueprint of their agenda for the second term,” Harris said, highlighting the plan’s attacks on Social Security, insulin prices, and the Department of Education. “So, let us be clear, this represents an outright attack on our children, our families, and our future.”
Harris’ speech comes at a critical time for the Biden-Harris reelection campaign. Despite Biden’s poor debate performance and concerns about his age and mental acuity, Harris has remained firmly behind the president. She has been traveling to several states, including Nevada and North Carolina, to rally key constituencies, including Black, female, and young voters.
“And so, in this moment, once again, our nation is counting on the leaders in this room to guide us forward, to energize, organize and mobilize, to register folks to vote and to get them to the polls in November, because we know when we organize, mountains move. When we mobilize, nations change, and when we vote, we make history,” she added.
The vice president’s speech was met with enthusiasm and applause from the thousands of sorority members in attendance. Many saw her address as a call to action, urging them to mobilize and organize in the face of a divisive political climate.
“Vice President Harris’ speech was inspiring and motivating,” said Janae Dandridge, an AKA member from Detroit. “She reminded us of the power we have as Black women and the importance of using our collective voice to shape our future.”
Glenda Baskin Glover, the former international president and CEO of AKA, echoed Dandridge’s sentiments. “Vice President Harris’ speech was a reminder that we have a responsibility to lead and to make a difference in our communities,” Glover said. “We must continue to fight for social justice, reproductive rights, and educational rights, and we must do it together.”
Harris’ speech also highlighted the importance of unity and leadership in the face of adversity. Despite the challenges facing the Biden-Harris campaign, Harris remains committed to the president and to the Democratic party. Her speech was a testament to her own leadership and her ability to inspire and mobilize others.
