After months of campaigning, Kamala concedes the presidential election to her opponent, Donald Trump.
Kamala Harris right before her concession speech. / Photo Credit: AP Photo / Stephanie Scarbrough
By Chloe Hunt
At 4:00 pm at her alma mater Howard University, Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a speech with the message that while she concedes the election, she does not concede the fight that fueled her campaign. Harris stressed the importance of the peaceful transfer of power as well as the value of continuing to mobilize for America’s ideals.
“We owe loyalty not to a president or to a party, but to the constitution of the United States, and loyalty to our conscience and to our God,” Harris said. “My allegiance to all three is why I am here today.”
Harris told her audience to continue fighting for freedom, opportunity, fairness, and the dignity of all people, “the ideals that reflect America at our best.” She vowed to remain committed to causes that were the centerpoints of her campaign–abortion rights, gun violence prevention, preserving democracy, and guaranteeing everyone’s fundamental rights and freedoms.
Harris left a message to her young voters encouraging them not to despair and remain confident in their own abilities.
“Don’t ever give up, don’t ever stop trying to make the world a better place,” Harris said. “You have power, and don’t you ever listen when someone tells you something is impossible because it’s never been done before.”
After discussing the value of coalition-building, Harris concluded with motivational, inspiring words for all her followers about powering through in dark times.
“The fight for our country is always worth it,” Harris said. “I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time, but for the benefit of us all, I hope that is not the case… let us fill the sky with the light…the light of optimism, of faith, of truth, and service.”
Chloe Hunt is a senior in the College studying Creative Writing, Hispanic Studies, and Political Science from Roanoke, VA. Chloe is also the News Editor for The Pennsylvania Post. Her email is chloemwh@sas.upenn.edu.
