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Kamala Harris made history today as she became the first black and Asian-American woman to be officially nominated to a major party’s presidential ticket.
The US Senator said her mother could never have imagined that her daughter would be joining a presidential ticket.
With that, Ms Harris said: “I accept your nomination for vice president of the United States of America.”
During her acceptance speech Ms Harris paid tribute to the black women who had come before her.
“Without fanfare or recognition, they organised, testified, rallied, marched, and fought, not just for their vote, but for a seat at the table,” she said.
“These women and the generations that followed worked to make democracy and opportunity real in the lives of all of us who followed..
“They paved the way for the trailblazing leadership of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.”
Joe Biden, 77, named Ms Harris, 55, as his running mate last week to face incumbents Donald Trump, 74, and Vice President Mike Pence, 61.
The vice president nominee delivered her speech from a hotel ballroom in Mr Biden’s hometown of Wilmington, Delaware on the second night of the virtual Democratic National Convention.
She described her vision of America as a “beloved community, where all are welcome, no matter what we look like, no matter where we come from or who we love.
“A country where we may not agree on every detail, but we are united by the fundamental belief that every human being is of infinite worth.”
Ms Harris condemned Mr Trump’s “failure of leadership”, adding that it had cost lives and livelihoods.
“We are a nation that is grieving – grieving the loss of life, the loss of jobs, a loss of certainty,” she said.
The 55-year-old senator also called for unity during her acceptance speech.
“Let’s be clear: there is no vaccine for racism,” she said. “For George Floyd. For Breonna Taylor. For the lives of too many others to name. For our children. For all of us.
“We must elect a president who will bring something different, something better, and do the important work. A president who will bring all of us together—Black, White, Latino, Asian, Indigenous—to achieve the future we collectively want.”
Ms Harris gained prominence in the Senate for her interrogations of Donald Trump nominees, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Attorney General Bill Barr.
She is the first black woman and first person of Indian descent to be nominated for national office by a major party, and only the fourth woman to be chosen on a presidental ticket.
The first two nights of the four-day Democratic convention showcased statesmen and rising stars in the party who said Mr Biden’s election would repair a pandemic-battered United States and put an end to the chaos of Mr Trump’s four years in office.
The Republican National Convention, also largely virtual, takes place next week.
