By Kayla Smernoff
Howard University News Service
“We need to turn the page on Donald Trump” was the message repeated throughout Kamala Harris’ rally in Washington, D.C.
Harris supporters crowded around the vice president’s “closing statement” rally to hear her speak about the future she sees for herself, her campaign and the American people.
“It can be easy to forget a simple truth — it doesn’t have to be this way,” said Kamala Harris about the division among the American people.
Harris’ rally drew crowds of supporters to the site of former President Donald Trump’s inflammatory Jan. 6 speech, a park near the White House called the Ellipse.
Bob and Kristina Lange attend the Ellipse rally in support of Vice President Kamala Harris, breaking with their Republican roots. Photo: Asia Alexander/HUNewsService.com
A sea of Harris-Walz merchandise, costumed supporters, people holding signs and wearing political memorabilia from past years (such as the pink hats from the 2017 Women’s March) lined Constitution Avenue. Inside the rally gates and against the backdrop of the Washington Monument, people held signs that read “U.S.A” and “Freedom” or waved American flags.
Many voters shared they were not in attendance to learn new information about Harris as a candidate, but to commemorate her historic campaign as the second woman, first Black woman and first Asian-American to be endorsed for president by the Democratic Party.
“I think it’s been electric,” said Jennifer Sherwood, a D.C. voter originally from Colorado, speaking about the excitement surrounding Harris’s campaign. “My reason for being here is to feel the energy of the movement.”
As the Ellipse reached capacity, voters spilled into the streets and onto the grass around the Washington Monument. Cheers broke out spontaneously from the crowd and alternating chants of “Kamala” and “U.S.A.” filled the air.
Elizabeth Bolehouwer, a first-time voter from Atlanta, described feeling revitalized by Harris’ campaign, especially as a young woman from a swing state.
“I feel like [Harris] is going to bring us back to the America that you can be patriotic about,” Bolehouwer said. “She would actually do things for the American people, whereas Trump satisfies already rich people and himself.”
Loud cheers often interrupted Harris as she dissected some of her plans for working-class families and young adults raising children and taking care of aging parents. Cries of “We’re not going back” initiated an enthusiastic response from the audience.
The crowd was engaged with Harris and the speakers who took the stage before her. One voter shared that she had voted for the first time in Pennsylvania via mail, but wanted to show her continued support for Vice President Harris.
“Our campus is politically active, but everyone has strong beliefs,” said Enaiya Smith, a college student studying international affairs. “The best way to be politically active is through voting and encouraging friends to vote. I talk to my friends and family at home, especially the women in my life. I’m passionate.”
Harris closed by emphasizing the varying ways in which this election is a close one. With a smile on her face, she reiterated how her values are aligned with the American peoples’ and reminded her voters of where she has seen the promise of America.
“I’ve seen it in Americans, different in many respects, but united in our pursuit of freedom, our belief in fairness and decency and our faith in a better future,” Harris said.
Kayla Smernoff is a reporter for HUNewsService.com.
