Re-visiting Vice President Kamala Harris Delivers a Message of Hope After Election Loss: ‘Don’t Ever Give Up’
In a powerful concession speech at Howard University, Vice President Kamala Harris urges resilience, unity, and continued fight for justice amid a bitter 2024 election defeat.
In the wake of one of the most emotionally charged elections in recent American history, Vice President Kamala Harris returned to her alma mater Wednesday afternoon to deliver what may be remembered as the defining speech of her political career. Just hours after Donald Trump was projected the winner of last year's presidential election, Harris stood before a solemn crowd at Howard University and offered not a message of bitterness, but one of resilience, unity, and enduring faith in democracy.
Wearing a deep purple suit—symbolizing both the fusion of red and blue and a nod to the suffragette movement—and her signature pearl necklace, Harris appeared composed yet visibly moved as she took the stage. The setting could not have been more poignant: Howard University, the historically Black college in Washington, D.C., that nurtured her rise from student activist to the first woman, first Black American, and first South Asian American to serve as Vice President.
The audience gathered included students, faculty, longtime supporters, campaign staff, and families from across the region. Some were openly crying. Others held signs that read “Still with Kamala,” “We believe in the fight,” and “This isn’t the end.” The gravity of the moment was felt not only in the room but across a nation deeply divided and unsure of what comes next.
A Loss—and a Legacy
The 2024 election came on the heels of President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race in July, citing health concerns. Harris stepped into the vacuum with urgency and resolve, becoming the Democratic Party’s nominee in an unprecedented mid-cycle shift. Her campaign ran a compressed but focused 107-day sprint, galvanizing progressives, women, and young voters with a message centered on reproductive freedom, democracy, and economic equity.
Despite a strong showing in urban centers and among Gen Z voters, Our Vice President ultimately fell short in key battleground states, leading to a narrow but decisive victory for Trump. The result stunned many Democrats, especially following a campaign in which Harris had gained momentum, won debates, and built a historic coalition.
In her concession speech, however, there was no denial, no casting of blame. Instead, there was clarity.
“The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for,” Harris said early in her remarks. “But hear me when I say: The light of America’s promise will always burn bright, as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.”
A Vice President, Still a Leader
From the moment Harris began speaking, it was clear she intended to do more than simply mark the end of a campaign—she was helping the nation process a transition. In a political climate where concession speeches have become rare or performative, Harris’s address felt like an act of stewardship. She framed her defeat as part of a larger, unfinished struggle.
“While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign,” she said to thunderous applause. “The fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness, and the dignity of all people.”
What distinguished her speech from others in recent memory was its deliberate mix of humility and moral conviction. Harris thanked her family, her team, and President Biden. She praised the voters, election workers, and even offered congratulations to President-elect Trump. And yet, she left no doubt about where she stood.
“Hard work is good work,” she declared. “Hard work can be joyful work. And the fight for our country is always worth it.”
For a candidate who largely avoided emphasizing her gender during the campaign, Harris used the moment to speak directly to the young, the discouraged, and especially young women who had placed their hopes in her candidacy.
“You have power. And don’t you ever listen when anyone tells you something is impossible because it has never been done before,” she said, echoing the spirit of trailblazers before her.
A Dark Moment—and a Daring Vision
It is no exaggeration to say that millions of Americans are in mourning—not just for a candidate, but for a vision of the country they hoped to see realized. Reproductive rights, climate action, racial justice, voting access—so many of the causes Harris championed now face an uncertain future under a returning Trump administration and a Republican-controlled Congress.
Harris did not shy away from the darkness. Instead, she acknowledged it and turned it on its head.
“There’s an adage a historian once called a ‘law of history,’ true of every society across the ages. The adage is: ‘Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.’ … If it is [a dark time], let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion stars.”
With those words, Harris reminded Americans that losing an election does not mean losing their voice. Her speech was not a surrender—it was a roadmap. A challenge. A benediction.
As she left the stage, there was no music, no confetti, no chants. Just a standing ovation. And then, the crowd slowly began to disperse—somber, yes, but not broken. Hopeful, even.
Kamala Harris did not become the first female president. But she showed the world what grace, dignity, and moral clarity look like in the face of defeat. And if her words are any indication, she’s not done fighting.
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Full Transcript: Vice President Kamala Harris’s Concession Speech at Howard University
Delivered Wednesday afternoon, July 10, 2024, Washington, D.C.
Good afternoon! Good afternoon! Good afternoon, everyone, good afternoon. Good afternoon. Thank you all, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
So let me say—and I love you back, I love you back.
So let me say, my heart is full today. My heart is full today. Full of gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, full of love for our country, and full of resolve. The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for, but hear me when I say: The light of America’s promise will always burn bright, as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.
To my beloved Doug and our family: I love you so very much. To President Biden and Dr. Biden, thank you for your faith and support. To Governor Walz and the Walz family, I know your service to our nation will continue. And to my extraordinary team, to the volunteers who gave so much of themselves, to the poll workers and the local election officials, I thank you, I thank you all.
Look, I am so proud of the race we ran and the way we ran it. Over the 107 days of this campaign, we have been intentional about building community and building coalitions. Bringing people together from every walk of life and background, united by love of country with enthusiasm and joy in our fight for America’s future. And we did it with the knowledge that we all have so much more in common than what separates us. Now I know folks are feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now—I get it [Laughs]. But we must accept the results of this election.
Earlier today, I spoke with president-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we will help him and his team with his transition. And that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power. A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results. That principle, as much as any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny. And anyone who seeks the public trust must honor it. At the same time, in our nation, we owe loyalty not to a president or a party, but to the Constitution of the United States. And loyalty to our conscience and to our god. My allegiance to all three is why I am here to say: While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign. The fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness, and the dignity of all people. A fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation, the ideals that reflect America at our best. That is a fight I will never give up.
I will never give up the fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions, and aspirations; where the women of America have the freedom to make decisions about their own body and not have their government telling them what to do. We will never give up the fight to protect our schools and our streets from gun violence. And America, we will never give up the fight for our democracy for the rule of law, for equal justice, and for the sacred idea that every one of us, no matter who we are or where we start out, has certain fundamental rights and freedoms that must be respected and upheld. And we will continue to wage this fight in the voting booth, in the courts, and in the public square. And we will also wage it in quieter ways: in how we live our lives by treating one another with kindness and respect. By looking in the face of a stranger and seeing a neighbor. By always using our strength to lift people up, to fight for the dignity that all people deserve. The fight for our freedom will take hard work, but like I always say, we like hard work. Hard work is good work. Hard work can be joyful work. And the fight for our country is always worth it. It is always worth it.
To the young people who are watching, it is OK to feel sad and disappointed, but please know it’s going to be OK. On the campaign, I would often say, “When we fight, we win.” But here’s the thing: Sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn’t mean we won’t win. That doesn’t mean we won’t win. The important thing is don’t ever give up. Don’t ever give up. Don’t ever stop trying to make the world a better place. You have power. You have power. And don’t you ever listen when anyone tells you something is impossible because it has never been done before. You have the capacity to do extraordinary good in the world.
And so to everyone who is watching, do not despair. This is not a time to throw up our hands; this is a time to roll up our sleeves. This is the time to organize, to mobilize, and to stay engaged for the sake of freedom and justice and the future that we all know we can build together.
Look, many of you know, I started out as a prosecutor and throughout my career, I saw people at the worst times of their lives. People who had suffered great harm and great pain, and yet, found within themselves the strength and the courage and the resolve to take the stand—to take a stand. To fight for justice, to fight for themselves, to fight for others. So let their courage be our inspiration. Let their determination be our charge.
And I’ll close with this: There’s an adage an historian once called a “law of history,” true of every society across the ages. The adage is: “Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.” 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. But here’s the thing, America, if it is: Let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion stars, the light of optimism, of faith, of truth and service. And may that work guide us even in the face of setbacks toward the extraordinary promise of the United States of America.
I thank you all, may God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America. I thank you all.
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Former Vice President Kalama Harris won the election! trump musk the entire republican party gop all rigged the election 2024 of last year!! We the People of the United States of America are all demanding immediately a nationwide re-count.
There is always HOPE!