ENGLISH SPEECH KAMALA HARRIS Victory Speech English Subtitles
Good evening. So Congressman John
Lewis, Congressman John Lewis,
before his passing, wrote: “Democracy is not
a state. It is an act.” And what he meant was
that America’s democracy is not guaranteed. It is
only as strong as our willingness to fight for it,
to guard it and never take it for granted.
And protecting our democracy takes struggle.
It takes sacrifice. But there is
joy in it, and there is progress.
Because we the people have the
power to build a better future.
And when our very democracy was on
the ballot in this election, with
the very soul of America at stake, and the world
watching, you ushered in a new day for America.
To our campaign staff and volunteers, this
extraordinary team — thank you for bringing
more people than ever before into the democratic
process and for making this victory possible.
To the poll workers and election officials
across our country who have worked tirelessly
to make sure every vote is counted — our
nation owes you a debt of gratitude as
you have protected the integrity of our democracy.
And to the American people who
make up our beautiful country,
thank you for turning out in record
numbers to make your voices heard.
And I know times have been challenging,
especially the last several months — the grief,
sorrow and pain, the worries and the
struggles. But we have also witnessed
your courage, your resilience and
the generosity of your spirit.
For four years, you marched and
organized for equality and justice,
for our lives, and for our
planet. And then, you voted.
And you delivered a clear message. You chose
hope and unity, decency, science and, yes, truth.
You chose Joe Biden as the next president
of the United States of America.
And Joe is a healer, a uniter,
a tested and steady hand,
a person whose own experience of loss gives
him a sense of purpose that will help us,
as a nation, reclaim our own sense of purpose.
And a man with a big heart who loves with abandon.
It’s his love for Jill, who will be an incredible
first lady. It’s his love for Hunter, Ashley and
his grandchildren, and the entire Biden family.
And while I first knew Joe as vice president,
I really got to know him as the father who loved
Beau, my dear friend, who we remember here today.
And to my husband, Doug;
our children, Cole and Ella; my sister,
Maya; and our whole family — I love
you all more than I can ever express.
We are so grateful to Joe and Jill for welcoming
our family into theirs on this incredible journey.
And to the woman most responsible for my presence
here today — my mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris,
who is always in our hearts.
When she came here from India at the age of 19,
she maybe didn’t quite imagine this moment. But
she believed so deeply in an America where
a moment like this is possible. And so,
I’m thinking about her and about the
generations of women — Black women,
Asian, White, Latina, Native American women
who throughout our nation’s history have paved the
way for this moment tonight. Women who fought and
sacrificed so much for equality, liberty and
justice for all, including the Black women,
who are often, too often overlooked, but so often
prove that they are the backbone of our democracy.
All the women who worked to secure and
protect the right to vote for over a century:
100 years ago with the 19th Amendment, 55
years ago with the Voting Rights Act and now,
in 2020, with a new generation of
women in our country who cast their
ballots and continued the 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.
And what a testament it is to Joe’s character
that he had the audacity to break one of the
most substantial barriers that exists in our
country and select a woman as his vice president.
But while I may be the first woman in
this office, I will not be the last,
because 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, but know
that we will applaud you every step of the way.
And to the American people:
No matter who you voted for,
I will strive to be a vice president like Joe was
to President Obama — loyal, honest and prepared,
waking up every day thinking
of you and your family.
Because now is when the real work begins.
The hard work. The necessary work.
The good work. The essential work to save lives
and beat this pandemic. To rebuild our economy
so it works for working people. To root out
systemic racism in our justice system and society.
To combat the climate crisis. To unite our
country and heal the soul of our nation.
And the road ahead will not be easy. But
America is ready, and so are Joe and I.
We have elected a president who
represents the best in us. A leader
the world will respect and our children can
look up to. A commander in chief who will
respect our troops and keep our country
safe. And a president for all Americans.