Joe Biden And Kamala Harris Victory Speeches

Wilmington, Delaware was on fire last night as the president-elect and vice president-elect celebrated their historic win.

Source: JIM WATSON / Getty

The first female, first Black, and first South Asian vice president-elect Kamala Harris walked out to Mary J. Blige’s “Work That” while looking elegant and ethereal in a white pantsuit. Kamala’s color choice was not by happenstance as pointed out by MadameNoire, it was actually an ode to the Women’s Suffrage movement, a collective fight that led to the passage of the 19th Amendment. Women who were involved in the movement often wore white and The National Woman’s Party’s colors were white, gold, and purple with white deemed “the emblem of purity.”

During her historic victory speech, Kamala paid tribute to not only the Women’s Suffrage movement but her late mother Shyamala Gopalan Harris “who maybe didn’t imagine this moment” but “believed so deeply in America where a moment like this is possible.” The vice president-elect also gave a shoutout to all women, but especially Black women for being the “backbone of our democracy.”

“So, I’m thinking about her and about the generations of women — Black Women. Asian, White, Latina, and Native American women throughout our nation’s history who 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 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 — 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 won’t be the last.”

Beautiful.

As for president-elect Joe Biden, his impassioned speech centered on uniting the country as a President for “all people” so we can be “a nation united, a nation strengthened, a nation healed.” He also gave a special shoutout to the African-American community who “stood up for him” and pledged to return the favor by “always having their back.”

“To all those who volunteered, worked the polls in the middle of this pandemic, local election officials — you deserve a special thanks from this nation. To my campaign team, and all the volunteers, to all those who gave so much of themselves to make this moment possible, I owe you everything.

And to all those who supported us: I am proud of the campaign we built and ran. I am proud of the coalition we put together, the broadest and most diverse in history. Democrats, Republicans and Independents. Progressives, moderates and conservatives. Young and old. Urban, suburban and rural. Gay, straight, transgender. White. Latino. Asian. Native American.

And especially for those moments when this campaign was at its lowest — the African-American community stood up again for me. They always have my back, and I’ll have yours. I said from the outset I wanted a campaign that represented America, and I think we did that. Now that’s what I want the administration to look like.”

It’s a new day, America.

Watch president-elect Joe Biden’s victory speech below.