Vice President Kamala Harris made history Thursday night as she formally accepted the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination.
“On behalf of the people;?on behalf of every American?regardless of party, race,?gender, or the language your?grandmother speaks; on behalf?of my mother and everyone who?has ever set out on their own?unlikely journey; on behalf of?Americans like the people I?grew up with, people who work hard, chase their dreams, and?look out for one another; 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 of America,” she said as the crowd broke out in cheers at the Democratic National Convention.
Harris is the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead a major-party ticket. If elected, she would be the first woman and Indian American president.?
“I know?there are people of various?political views watching?tonight,” she said in her speech. “And I want you to know: I promise to be a president?for all Americans. You can?always trust me to put country above party and self.”
Harris announced her candidacy last month after President Joe Biden withdrew his reelection bid and endorsed her to succeed him. The party has moved quickly to coalesce behind Harris following Biden’s unprecedented exit.
Harris’ speech closed out the fourth and final day of the convention, which was held at the United Center in Chicago.
Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, spoke at the convention Wednesday night and said accepting the vice presidential nomination was “the honor of my life.” Former President Barack Obama gave the keynote speech Tuesday night, and Biden spoke the night before. All said they believe in Harris’ ability to lead.
“She’ll be a president we can all be proud of, and she will be a historic president who puts her stamp on America’s future,” Biden told the convention crowd on Monday.
































The Rev. Geneva Allen-Patterson, a delegate from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, was attending the Democratic National Convention for the first time in her life at the age of 75. “This is a very, very historic moment that God has blessed me in this season of my life,” she said. She’s excited to witness a woman of color leading a presidential ticket, something that her mother and her grandmother were not able to see while they were alive.?Like many delegates on Thursday, she was wearing white, the color of the suffragette movement.

Stephanie McGraw is from the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. “I’m here at the DNC this week to experience (Harris’) story, to experience a miracle, to experience a new sense of hope, to see the first female president-elect of the United States,” she said. “I’m here for every woman that has lost her voice. I’m here for every woman to help her find her voice. I’m here to let every woman know: Just believe that anything you want to do in this world, you can do it. And if your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough.”
































Indiana delegate and disability advocate Emily Voorde was attending her second Democratic convention. “The disabled vote is a significant one,” she said. “People with disabilities are actually the largest minority group in the country. One in four Americans lives with a disability, whether that be a learning disability, a mental health disability, a physical disability, long Covid.” She said she’s confident that Harris and Walz “will do best by our community.”


















Isaac Winkler, a 17-year-old from Minnesota, was?the youngest delegate at the convention. “Young people need to be a part of politics because the policy decisions that are made today will affect them more than anyone else in the world,” he said. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’ running mate, is “exactly what he comes across as, and that’s just a very genuine guy,” Winkler said.

Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson, right, said he’s really excited about Harris’ candidacy and “what she brings, which is joy, a new perspective, dedication and commitment to uniting our country, and really elevating the voices of people who’ve been marginalized across the country.”





























Saffiyyah Muhammad, right, didn’t have to go far to attend the convention. She’s from Chicago. She said she cried when she learned that Harris would be the Democratic nominee, and she has volunteered her time to help support the campaign. “To be a part of this history, it’s very exciting — and it’s emotional,” she said. Muhammad, like Harris, is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, a historically Black sorority.

Jared Schablein, a delegate from Maryland, brought a stuffed muskrat with him to the convention. “The muskrat is an animal local to my community on the Eastern Shore of Maryland,” he said. Princess Anne, Maryland, also hosts a New Year’s Eve muskrat drop. Schablein said he was “incredibly excited” when Harris became the nominee and that he was happy to be one of the first in Maryland to publicly support her. He also said he was “over the moon” when Harris selected Walz as her running mate. “Rural America doesn’t typically get represented,” he said.








