Former Vice President Kamala Harris gave a rousing speech at the 56th NAACP Image Awards on Saturday night at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in California, where she accepted the organization’s Chairman’s Award.
“This organization came into being at a moment when our country struggled with greed, bitterness and hatred. And those who forged the NAACP, those who carried its legacy forward, had no illusions about the forces they were up against — no illusions about how stony the road would be,” Harris said on stage in her first TV appearance since leaving office. “But some look at this moment and rightly feel the weight of history. Some see the flames on our horizons, the rising waters in our cities, the shadows gathering over our democracy, and ask, ‘What do we do now?’ But we know exactly what to do, because we have done it before, and we will do it again.”
She continued, “We use our power; we organize, mobilize, we educate and we advocate. Because, you see, our power has never come from having an easy path. Our strength flows from our faith — faith in God, faith in each other, and our refusal to surrender to cynicism and destruction. Not because it is easy, but because it is necessary. Not because victory is guaranteed, but because the fight is worth it.”
The audience, which gave the former vice president a standing ovation when she walked on stage, continued to applaud throughout Harris’ speech.
“While we have no illusions about what we are up against in this chapter of our American story, this chapter will be written not simply by whoever occupies the Oval Office — nor by the wealthiest among us. The American story will be written by you, written by us — by we the people. Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States,” Harris concluded.
The Chairman’s Award honors individuals who “excel in public service and leverage their unique platforms to ignite and drive meaningful change.” The Oakland-born Harris served as California Attorney General and U.S. Senator before making history as the first woman, Black American and South Asian American to serve as VP (with President Joe Biden). Then, in 2024, Harris ran another historic campaign as the first Black and South Asian woman to be nominated by a major party for president.
Past Chairman’s Award honorees include Amanda Gorman, Samuel L. Jackson, the late U.S. Congressman John Lewis, Ruby Dee, Danny Glover, Rev. James Lawson, Tyler Perry, then-Senator Barack Obama, Congressman Bennie G. Thompson, Congresswoman Maxine Waters and former Surgeon General Regina Benjamin.
