Kamala Harris Defines Herself

“My mother had another lesson she used to teach. Never let anyone tell you who you are. You show them who you are,” said Vice President Kamala Harris on August 22 at Chicago’s United Center. She was delivering her keynote speech on the final day of the Democratic National Convention. Minutes earlier, she had formally accepted her party’s nomination for president, becoming the first Indian and first Black woman to be a major party’s nominee. 

Harris shared her mother, Shyamala Gopalan’s lesson toward the end of her speech as a call to action. The choice between her and Donald Trump wasn’t just about competing policy programs, but it struck at deeper questions about how America chooses to define itself. “America, let us show each other — and the world — who we are. And what we stand for,” Harris added. The Vice President’s speech punctuated a Democratic National Convention most Americans had never seen before, featuring Black and South Asian luminaries, saris, and family in all its forms.