Voices from the DNC floor: Kamala Harris accepts the nomination

By Trinity Webster-Bass, Howard University New Service

CHICAGO — On the final night of the Democratic National Convention, Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic nomination. The room reverberated with cheers as she spoke about her personal history, her highlights of her political career, and what she plans to do if she wins the presidential race.

She spoke of efforts to restore full access to abortion and other reproductive services, initiatives to slow down the climate crisis and protect clean energy jobs, and how she plans to tackle immigration including reinstating the bipartisan border security bill.

Most notably, Harris addressed both sides of the Israel-Gaza conflict, stating that Israelis have the right to protect themselves, but the devastation in Gaza must come to an end. Vice President Harris assured the audience that she will continue to fight for a ceasefire in Gaza.

On the convention floor, delegates, attendees, and political officials were feeling one thing that night: hope.

Aman Tune, political advisor for Forward Global knew that this moment would go down in history.

“To just watch her accept the nomination today was truly incredible in a moment that I will never forget. Ever,” she said.

Jeremi Medina, who serves as the Vice Chair of Colorado Young Democrats said,”I think she’s acknowledging the youth. I think she’s seen a lot of people’s perspectives as she’s hearing and she’s really gonna really push forward and listen to what we all want out there.”

Activist Devante HillI knows that her potential presidency would come with its own challenges.

“I think Kamala Harris is gonna make it to the Oval Office, and I think one of the most important things that she’s gonna face is the fact that she is a black woman in leadership on a global scale.

Ayinde Summey, who’s running for a local office in Arapahoe County, Colorado said that the future of the Harris-Walz ticket is bright.

I really hope that in the next 11 weeks, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz can convince the country that they are more than ready to run the country and run it? Well, yes,

Political figures on the DNC floor said they felt like Harris had reinvigorated the Democratic Party.

I was right in the second row, right behind the Attorney General of California, which is a position she had. I was right behind Rob Bonta, and we all leapt and all of us had tears in our eyes. Because, you know, many of us who are elected in California, we know this woman. We work with this woman. I worked for her. So again, I know how hard she works. I know how much she cares for us. I know how much she cares for y’all as bisons. I know how she wears the pride and joy of being a Howard and HBCU grad and as someone who fought for victims of violent crime, America deserves a leader like Kamala Harris.

That was Lateefah Simon. She’s Harris’s mentee and running for House of Representatives for California’s 12th congressional district. Illinois state senator Mattie Hunter shares the same excitement

“Kamala hit all the points, all the issues that she’s going to work on, and her goal is to fix them. She cannot get it done by herself. We’re going to have to pitch in and work with her and help her get it done. Because if we help her, we’re helping ourselves. We help ourselves. We’re helping our community and our country. And I’m ready for it. I’m ready for the change. I went to a HBCU, Jackson State University, and Kamala, Howard University. We’re sorority sisters. It’s, this is our time. This is a time for women. And I personally feel that way. I just think that this is a godsend. This is the time for women.”

Tennessee representative Justin Jones recognizes that the United States is at a crossroads in its history. He suggests that by ushering in Vice President Harris as the next president, America has an opportunity to move forward as a nation.

“What we’re taking away from this convention is excitement, this electric energy to fight for the type of nation we want to live in? We don’t want to fall for the authoritarianism and anti democratic behavior of a criminal con man and crook named Donald Trump, but we want to fight for a multiracial democracy in the vision of Kamala Harris…We can make America what it ought to be. We’ll never make America great again, but we can make it what it ought to be,” he said.

In the final moments of the convention, red, white and blue, confetti and balloons littered the floor. Texas representative Jasmine Crockett stood in all white, passing on words of wisdom for the generations to come.

“So let me tell you something. I’m more excited about this for y’all than I am for me, because half my life has passed. Y’all still have so much life left, and for you to be able to witness this, this is something that I never thought that I would see, especially when I was your age. Her being up there that is going to propel you forward,” she said.

“My question to you is, what are you willing to do to propel the next generation behind you forward? We will have our joy, and our joy will be in the form of Kamala Harris being the President of the United States and really turning a corner. It won’t fix every hateful thing that we have going on in this country, and we may even see a spike in that hate, but it will be worth it, because she epitomizes what the American dream is.”