A year ago, I answered President Joe Biden’s call to serve as the chair of the 2024 Democratic National Convention. And on Tuesday, just 13 days before the convention kicks off here in Chicago, I was honored to officially recognize Vice President Kamala Harris as our next Democratic nominee for President of the United States.
It’s hard to overstate the significance of this moment, for the first time ever — a Black woman has secured the presidential nomination of a major party. But history doesn’t just happen — it’s made. And it’s important for us to remember how we got here.
Just over two weeks ago, President Biden made the courageous decision to put his country before himself. It was a painful and powerful moment that could have shaken us as a party, but the President did what he does best — he led us through that uncertainty with a steady, reassuring hand. He put his faith in Vice President Harris to pick up the torch, and he asked the American people to do the same.
What’s followed has been nothing short of remarkable.
Vice President Harris has not only stepped forward to accept that endorsement, but she has also worked day and night to earn it. She’s traveling across the country with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to speak directly with the American people as they fight to build upon the Biden-Harris record of delivering for all Americans. She has brought joy to the campaign trail and reminded us that our better days are ahead, not behind. Democrats from coast to coast coalesced around her candidacy, ushering in a groundswell of grassroots energy heading into the convention.
While the enthusiasm we’re seeing around the country is powerful, we aren’t taking anything for granted. Right now, Democrats are fanning out across the country to bring the Harris-Walz message to the American people, building momentum as we prepare to gather in Chicago to rally behind this historic ticket and chart a course to victory in November.
From inside the United Center, we will introduce our nominees to the country. We will hear directly from the people who know them best. We will showcase stories from Americans across the country whose freedoms hinge on this election. We will give Vice President Harris and Gov. Walz a stage to lay out their bold vision for the future. It’s a vision of hope, freedom, and possibility — and it stands in stark contrast with the vision that Donald Trump is trying to drag us back to.
Elections
That is the choice we face in November: the future or the past, more freedoms or less. And if Donald Trump’s first term in office taught us anything, it’s that the decision we make at the ballot box will define not just the next four years, but the next 50.
The stakes are enormous, and Vice President Harris is the right candidate to meet this moment. She is capable, intelligent, and experienced, and she is committed to fighting for people, for our freedoms, and for our future. Her bold vision for our country will strengthen our democracy, protect reproductive freedom, and ensure every person has the opportunity to not just get by but to get ahead.
We’re standing on the precipice of something truly historic — electing the first woman president of the United States and showing the world what is possible when we come together as a country.
Every generation of Americans faces a defining moment, moments when we must choose who we want to be and what kind of country we want to live in. This is ours. As President Biden says, history is in our hands.
At the convention in Chicago, we will unite as a party and recommit to the work ahead. We will show the world who we are and what we stand for as Democrats, and in November, we will elect Kamala Harris as the 47th president of the United States, sending her and Gov. Walz to the White House to finish the job that she and President Biden started together.
Minyon Moore is the chair of the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
