Vice President Kamala Harris will accept the presidential nomination on August 22, the last day of the DNC.
TW: Gun violence is mentioned in this article.
The Democratic National Convention (DNC) took place from August 19 to 22 at the United Center in Chicago. The four-day convention included speakers, honors, musical performances and support for the Harris-Walz team.
With August 22nd being the fourth and final day of the DNC, here are some notable takeaways.
Harris accepts nomination
On August 22, the final day of the DNC, Vice President Kamala Haris officially accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination for president following the delegates’ vote on August 21.
Harris began her speech by thanking President Joe Biden for his cooperation during his term in office and the support of the delegates and her running mate, Tim Walz.
“When I think about the journey we have traveled together, I am filled with gratitude. (Biden’s) record is extraordinary, as history will show, and your character is inspiring,” Harris said.
Harris also thanks the audience during her speech.
“I know there are people watching tonight with different political views. I promise to be a president for all Americans. You can always count on me to put country before party and myself. I will uphold America’s sacred principles, the rule of law, fair and free elections, and a peaceful transition of power,” Harris said.
Harris also said that the upcoming election has the potential to bring about change in America and open a new chapter.
“With this election, our nation has a precious, fleeting opportunity to put the bitterness, cynicism and divisive battles of the past behind us,” Harris said. “A chance to forge a new path forward, not as members of a party or faction, but as Americans.”
Referring to the pro-Palestinian protests that took place outdoors throughout the convention, Harris mentioned Gaza.
“On the war in Gaza, President Biden and I are working around the clock because now is the time to finalize a hostage-taking and ceasefire agreement,” Harris said. “And let me be clear: I will always stand up for Israel’s right to self-defense, and I will always make sure Israel has the ability to defend itself, because the people of Israel must never again be subjected to the horror that a terrorist organization called Hamas inflicted on October 7th (…) At the same time, the events in Gaza over the last ten months are devastating. So many innocent lives have been lost, desperate, hungry people keep fleeing safety, the level of suffering is heartbreaking.”
Harris ended her acceptance speech by urging the crowd and spectators to vote.
“Let’s go out there, let’s fight for it, let’s fight for it and let’s write together the next great chapter of the most extraordinary story of all time,” Harris said.
Walz accepts nomination as Vice President
On August 21, the third day of the DNC, Tim Walz gave his first official address to the crowd regarding his nomination for vice president.
Walz began his speech by thanking Harris for choosing him as her running mate, President Joe Biden for the four years he served, and the delegates for his nomination.
Walz spoke to the crowd about his origins and his childhood in the small town of Butte, Nebraska.
“When you grow up in a small town like this, you learn to look out for others. Everyone belongs and everyone has a responsibility to do their part,” Walz said.
Walz served in the Army National Guard for 24 years and then began his career as a social studies teacher and football coach at Mankato West High School in Minnesota.
Walz thanked his players and students for his decision to run for Congress. Some of Walz’s former players took the stage before his speech.
“They saw in me what I wanted to convey to them: commitment to the common good. The understanding that we are all in the same boat. And the conviction that a single person can make a real difference for his fellow human beings,” said Walz.
Walz also mentioned the work he did as governor of Minnesota.
“Then I came back home to serve as governor, and we immediately went to work to improve the lives of our neighbors. We cut taxes for middle-class families. We implemented paid family and medical leave. We invested in crime reduction and affordable housing. We lowered prescription drug costs and helped people avoid the kind of medical debt that nearly ruined my family. And we made sure every child in our state got breakfast and lunch at school. So while other states were banishing books from their schools, we were banishing hunger from ours,” Walz said.
Walz concluded his speech with a pep talk to energize the crowd, after which the arena closed with chants of “Coach, Coach, Coach.”
Recommendations
Throughout the convention, several prominent politicians took the stage to support Harris as the Democratic presidential candidate.
Several prominent Democratic figures, including former Presidents Biden, Obama and Clinton, as well as US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, spoke in support of Harris at the convention. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont also spoke in support of Harris at the convention.
“A Harris-Waltz administration can help us move beyond some of the old, tired debates that impede progress, because at their core, Kamala and Tim understand that we’re all better off when everyone gets a fair shot,” said former President Obama. “They understand that the entire economy is strengthened when every child gets a good education; that all families benefit when women make the same wages as men. We can secure our border without separating children from their parents, just as we can keep our streets safe while building trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”
There were also Republicans and former Trump aides who spoke at the convention in support of Harris.
Speakers included former Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan, Olivia Troye (former homeland security adviser to the Vice President during the Trump administration, Mike Pence), Stephanie Grisham (former White House press secretary under Trump) and former Representative Adam Kinsinger.
“When I was press secretary, I was criticized for never holding a White House press conference,” Grisham said. “That’s because, unlike my boss, I never wanted to stand at that podium and lie. Now I’m standing here, behind a podium, representing the interests of a Democrat. And that’s because I love my country more than I love my party. Kamala Harris tells the truth. She respects the American people. And she has my vote.”
Democratic Party Platform 2024
During the convention, the official Democratic Party platform was voted on and adopted.
The 90-page document contains nine chapters, all covering topics such as economic growth, tax cuts for the working class, cutting costs, tackling the climate crisis, combating gun violence, protecting freedoms like reproductive rights, securing the U.S. border, and promoting the unity agenda. The unity agenda includes issues such as mental health and strengthening American leadership around the world.
Honors and recognitions
In the final days of the convention, Democratic leaders and representatives took the time to pay their last respects to the victims of gun violence and an Israeli hostage.
Since the fight against gun violence was a focus of the party’s platform and campaign, on August 22, the last day of the party convention, survivors and relatives of victims of gun violence took the stage and reported on their experiences with gun violence.
The memorial was led by Georgia Rep. Lucy McBath, who became an activist against gun violence after her son was shot and killed in Jacksonville, Florida, by a man sentenced to life in prison without parole.
The first two speakers were Abbey Clements, a teacher and survivor of the Sandy Hook school massacre in 2012, and Kimberly Rubio, who lost her 19-year-old daughter in the school massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas in 2022.
The second two speakers were Melody McFadden of Charleston, South Carolina, who lost her mother and niece to gun violence, and Edgar Vilchez of Chicago, who witnessed his classmate and friend injured in a drive-by shooting.
Behind the speakers, the words “Freedom from Gun Violence” were displayed on the screen.
On the third day of the convention, August 21, the parents of 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin spoke about the 109 hostages, eight of whom are Americans and one of whom is their son, currently being held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The 23-year-old was kidnapped after attending the Nova Music Festival in southern Israel and abducted by Hamas fighters on October 7.
“This is a political rally, but bringing our only son and all our beloved hostages home is not a political issue. It is a humanitarian issue,” said Jon Polin, Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s father.
Hersh’s parents said it had been 320 days since his abduction and that both wore the number 320 on their chests.
The parents thanked the crowd for the support they felt during this emergency.
“We know what can most quickly relieve the pressure and bring calm to the entire region. An agreement that brings this motley crew of 109 hostages home and ends the suffering of innocent civilians in Gaza,” Polin said. “Now is the time.”
