Loud applause filled the massive convention hall in Indianapolis on Wednesday as Vice President Kamala Harris approached the microphone. Harris, who had agreed to address the national conference for Zeta Phi Beta sorority, wasn’t aware that her speech would come just days after she became the presumptive Democratic nominee for president. The excitement of welcoming one of their own at this historic moment was tangible for the 6,000 Black sorority sisters in attendance.
“We love you!” exclaimed someone from the audience. “And I love you back!” responded Harris, a former member of Alpha Kappa Alpha during her time at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Both Zeta Phi Beta and Alpha Kappa Alpha are part of the influential historically Black Divine Nine sororities and fraternities.
The women in the audience represented various generations and regions of the country. Many had participated in marches for voting rights, economic justice, and the end of racial segregation in the early 1960s and had been involved in national campaigns to improve women’s health care. Harris acknowledged that many in the room had played a key role in electing Joe Biden as president and her as vice president. She urged them to mobilize their communities in November to ensure a high voter turnout.
“Now is the moment our nation needs your leadership once again,” Harris stated. “We face a choice between two different visions. One focused on the future, the other focused on the past. With your support, I am fighting for our nation’s future.”
Harris highlighted her advocacy for affordable health care for all, citing the Biden administration’s cap on insulin costs for seniors at $35 a month. She emphasized her belief in building an economy that benefits working people, pointing to the Biden administration’s forgiveness of student loan debt for over 5 million Americans. Cheers erupted once again from the crowd. “If you or anyone you know benefited from that, please testify!” Harris urged. Several people stood up and waved their hands in response.
“We are witnessing a full-on assault on hard-won freedoms,” she declared. She referenced measures aimed at making voting more difficult and states enacting abortion restrictions.
“When I am President of the United States,” she began, prompting 6,000 people to rise to their feet in thunderous applause. “And when Congress passes a law” to restore nationwide access to abortion, she affirmed, she would sign it. The loud clapping continued unabated.
“We are not playing around!” Harris continued with conviction. “We know when we mobilize, mountains move. When we mobilize, nations change. When we mobilize, we make history.”
While Harris delivered her speech in Indianapolis, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington, D.C., addressing a joint session of Congress. Vice Presidents typically preside over such sessions involving world leaders. Harris is scheduled to meet with Netanyahu on Thursday, according to her office.
Before Harris took the stage, Betty Loveless Whittle from Greenville, Ala., expressed her hope that Harris would “work hard to mend us, pull us together, and do what’s right for everyone.” It was the first time Whittle, 73, had attended her sorority’s national convention. Whittle was a founding member of her local sorority chapter in 1973, and she never imagined she would find herself in the same room as the Vice President. She acknowledged the profound significance of the moment.
“In my fondest dreams, I never thought that would happen,” Whittle said, her voice filled with awe.