Sen. Kamala Harris bucked tradition and opened up her night at the Democratic National Convention, asking supporters to make a voting plan as President Donald Trump has pushed the narrative that there will be widespread voter fraud.
‘So I think we need to ask oursvlves why don’t they want us to vote? Why is there so much effort to silence our voices?’ she asked. ‘And the answer is because when we vote things change. When we vote things get better, when we vote we address the need for all people to be treated with dignity and respect in our country.’
Harris will be joined at the third night of the virtual Democratic National Convention by Hillary Clinton, the Democrats’ 2016 pick – and the first woman to ever be nominated for president by a major party – as well as President Barack Obama, the first black man to serve as commander-in-chief.
Sen. Kamala Harris bucked tradition Wednesday and opened up the night she was to be nominated at the Democratic National Convention, asking supporters to come up with a voting plan as President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested there would be widepread fraud in the 2020 election
Actress Kerry Washington was the emcee for the Democrats third night of their virtual convention
Hillary Clinton, the only woman to ever top a major party’s presidential ticket, will be part of Wednesday night’s programming that will conclude with Harris becoming the first woman of color to ever be nominated for vice president
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to hold the job, will speak after Clinton during Wednesday night’s DNC programming
President Obama, the nation’s first black president, will speak before Harris’ family members appear and deliver her nominating speech
The party’s parade of firsts come one day after President Bill Clinton appeared at the DNC, which attracted some criticism in the post-#MeToo era and as the Democrats want to showcase their diversity
Former President Bill Clinton, the last white male Democrat to serve as president, spoke Tuesday night, with some questioning his role in a party that’s striving to show off its diversity and grapple with a post-#MeToo world.
The theme of Wednesday night’s festivities is a ‘more perfect union’ and showcases a number of Democratic firsts – politicians who have broken boundaries thanks to their gender or race.
The emcee was Kerry Washington, a political activist and actress known for her D.C.-based starring role in ‘Scandal.’
Hillary Clinton will appear during a part of the night’s programming dedicated to female leadership, which has helped create said ‘more perfect union.’
Clinton was the first woman to ever win a major party’s presidential nomination when she did so four years ago, only to be bested by President Donald Trump.
That part of the program will also feature a video marking 100 years of suffrage for some American women with the adoption of the 19th Amendment, an anniversary celebrated Tuesday.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – the country’s first female speaker of the House – will follow Clinton, getting an introduction from actress Taraji P. Henson, according to Politico.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who ran against Harris and Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the 2020 race, is also slated to speak Wednesday night about a ‘more perfect economy.’
Then, President Barack Obama – the country’s first black president – will address the DNC and deliver what’s expected to be a blistering rebuke of Trump – and a wholehearted endorsement of Biden, his former vice president.
Harris will be formally nominated by three of her family members: Sister Maya Harris, who served as the campaign chairwoman for Harris’ presidential bid, Maya’s daughter Meena and Harris’ step-daughter Ella Emhoff, who refers to her as ‘Momala,’ the California senator said when she talked about her family members during her debut speech in Wilmington, Delaware last week.
She’ll appear again Wednesday night in Wilmington, at the city’s Chase Center, which has been set up for Harris and Biden to give their nomination acceptance speeches.
There, she’ll only be joined by her husband, Douglas Emhoff, due to social distancing protocols.
The DNC was supposed to take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but instead is being pieced together virtually from multiple locations thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers was one of the opening speaking during the convention’s third night.
The Biden campaign wouldn’t say whether Harris or Biden will be tested for the coronavirus prior to their appearances, though all other people on-site will have been tested for multiple days.