Vice President Kamala Harris was supposed to deliver an election night speech at her alma mater, Howard University; instead, she returned Wednesday to deliver her concession speech after having lost the race to President-elect Donald Trump.
Music bumped in the campus quad as thousands of students and supporters filtered into the election party-turned-wake. The playlist, which included such songs as Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up” and Beyoncé’s “Run the World (Girls),” seemed more fitting for the previous night.
Vice President Kamala Harris was supposed to deliver an election night speech at her alma mater, Howard University; instead, she returned Wednesday to deliver her concession speech after having lost the race to President-elect Donald Trump.
Music bumped in the campus quad as thousands of students and supporters filtered into the election party-turned-wake. The playlist, which included such songs as Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up” and Beyoncé’s “Run the World (Girls),” seemed more fitting for the previous night.
In her speech, Harris reiterated what she said to Trump in a phone call on Wednesday conceding the election: that the peaceful transfer of power is the foundation of U.S. democracy. At the same time, she rallied her supporters to build toward a future era of renewed Democratic leadership.
“On the campaign, I would often say, ‘When we fight, we win,’” Harris said. “But here’s the thing: Sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn’t mean we won’t win.”
Harris also encouraged the crowd to get organized to keep fighting for the campaign’s promises.
“This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves,” she said. The audience roared loudest when she spoke about the importance of fighting for the right of women to make choices about their own bodies.
For some speech attendees, the consequences of the election result felt immediate and personal. Sarah Dale, a 43-year-old Harris supporter who works on air quality issues, told Foreign Policy: “I’m feeling pretty horrible. I work in the federal government, so this will have an impact on our macro world as well as me very personally.” Trump has pledged to overhaul the federal workforce.
Harris offered parting words of consolation to her supporters. “Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars. I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time, but for the benefit of us all, I hope that is not the case. But here’s the thing, America: If it is, let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion of stars, the light of optimism, of faith, of truth, and service.”
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The post Harris Tries to Rally Disappointed Supporters in Rousing Concession Speech appeared first on Foreign Policy.
