“I will not be the last,” said Kamala Harris, the future Vice President of US

Kamala Harris, the future vice president of the United States, gave a speech last night in which she honored women who she says have the path for themselves. She will be the first woman to serve as Vice President of the United States. It became clear yesterday, when her co-candidate, Joe Biden, secured victory over incumbent Donald Trump in the US presidential election.

Harris will be not only the first woman to serve as vice president but also the first black woman in the office. To date, all of America’s vice presidents have been white men. Harris’ inauguration will therefore break new ground in US history, as she will be the highest-ranking woman in US history in January.

In a speech a few hours after it was clear that victory was imminent, Harris said a struggle was needed to protect American democracy.

“It requires sacrifice. But there is also joy in it, as well as success. “Because we, the people, have the power to create a better future,” Harris said.

Harris paid tribute to all American women in the speech, both living and women who had paved the way. She especially honored the contribution of black women who had fought for women’s rights, equality, and civil rights. She said they were leaders who “too often were overlooked, but had often proved to be a pillar of strength” of American democracy.

Refused to be a moderate choice

In her speech, Harris rejected the rhetoric surrounding Biden’s election of her as a moderate candidate for the Democratic vice-presidential election, chosen to counterbalance the age, ideology, and race of newly elected President Joe Biden. She said her presence on stage last night was a sign of Biden’s audacity.

“That he had the courage to face one of the fundamental barriers in that country and elect a woman to of vice president.”

In her speech, Harris referred specifically to her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, who came to California from India in 1958.

She may not have foreseen the moment. But she firmly believed in the United States where moments like this were possible.

Kamala also made a powerful promise to the American people in her speech:

“I may be the first woman to hold this position, but I will not be the last, because every little girl who watches tonight sees that we live in a land of opportunity,” Harris said.