U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivered an official concession speech at Howard University, earlier this month, after being defeated by former President Donald Trump in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election.
“I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we will help him and his team with their transition and that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power,” Harris said at the beginning of her speech.
Harris acknowledged the despair her supporters might be feeling as a result of the election results. She encouraged them to keep fighting for the vision they have for the United States.
Women of all ages and racial backgrounds overwhelmingly powered Harris’ campaign. 89 percent of black women voted for her this election cycle, according to exit polls from the Associated Press. Consequently, black women had the most noticeable reactions to Harris’ concession speech.
N’Dia Cash, a third-year sociology major on the pre-law track at Hampton University shared her thoughts on the speech.
“It was very impactful, especially when she raises the issue that the fight is not over. During her campaign, she said many times ‘When we vote we win’. Even though the result of the race wasn’t exactly how we planned it to be, we have fought before and continue to do so to keep democracy and our rights at bay,” Cash said, “I was inspired to do more for the community, and I want to educate more people on the matter for social justice within our society.”
Ashlea Bynum, a Harris supporter from the infamous key battleground state, Michigan had similar thoughts to Cash about Harris’ speech. Harris’ encouragement to continue to fight for the vision she and her supporters have for the country, also stood out to Bynum.
“I think what she said about us needing to continue to fight is true. The thing about us people of color is we’re not new to fighting for our rights,” Bynum said, “Despite how disheartening the results of the election were, we do need to keep fighting for our rights and putting the pressure on to make sure we are acknowledged and recognized.”
Although the results were not what Harris’ 71 million voters hoped for, her speech has helped some process the outcome better.
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