“ i’m calling on all you independents and all you undecideds. ¥ou know that is true. You realize I’m telling you the reality. That values and character matter most of all. In management and in life.,” Oprah Winfrey mentioned in a shock speech on Day 3 on the 2024 Democratic Nationwide Conference, her first ever handle at a political conference. “And greater than something, you already know that is true, that decency and respect are on the poll in 2024. And simply plain widespread sense. Widespread sense tells you that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz may give us decency and respect…”
Under is the video and transcript of her speech.
Good night, all people! Who says you’ll be able to’t go house once more? After watching the Obamas final night time, that was some epic hearth, was not it? After we are so fired up, we can’t wait to go away right here and do one thing! And what we’re going to do is elect Kamala Harris as the subsequent president of the US!
I’m so honored to have been requested to talk on tonight’s theme about what issues essentially the most to me, to you, and all of us Individuals” Freedom. There are individuals who need you to see our nation as a nation of us towards them. Individuals who wish to scare you. Who wish to rule you. Individuals who would have you ever consider that books are harmful, and assault rifles are secure. That there’s a proper strategy to worship and a flawed strategy to love. Individuals who search first to divide, after which to overcome.
However right here is the factor. After we stand collectively, it’s unimaginable to overcome us. Within the phrases of a unprecedented American the late Congressman John Lewis –, he mentioned it doesn’t matter what ship our ancestors arrived on, we’re all in the identical boat now. He knew very nicely how far this nation has come as a result of he was one of many sensible Individuals who helped get us to the place we’re. However he additionally knew that the work isn’t achieved.
The work won’t ever be achieved, as a result of freedom isn’t free. America is an ongoing undertaking. It requires dedication, it requires being open to the arduous work and to the guts work of democracy. And now and again, requires standing as much as life’s bullies.
I do know this. I’ve lived in Mississippi. In Tennessee. In Wisconsin. Maryland. Indiana. Florida. Hawaii. Colorado. California. And candy house Chicago, iIlinois! I’ve truly traveled this nation from the redwood forest (I really like the redwoods) to the gulf stream waters. I’ve seen racism and sexism and revenue inequality and division. I’ve not solely seen it, at instances, i’ve been on the receiving finish of it. However as a rule, what I’ve witnessed and skilled are human beings, each conservative and liberal, who could not agree with one another, however who nonetheless will assist you in a heartbeat in case you are in bother.
These are the individuals who make me proud to say that I’m an American. They’re the very best of America. And regardless of what some would have you ever assume, we aren’t so completely different from our neighbors. When a home is on hearth, we don’t ask concerning the house owner’s race or faith. We don’t marvel who their accomplice is or how they voted. No. We simply attempt to do the very best we are able to to save lots of them. And if the place occurs to belong to a childless cat girl – nicely, we attempt to get the cat out, too.
As a result of we’re a rustic of people that work arduous for the cash. We want our brothers and sisters nicely and we pray for peace. We all know all of the outdated methods and tropes which might be designed to distract us from what truly issues. However we’re past ridiculous tweets and lies and foolery. These are sophisticated instances, individuals, they usually require grownup dialog. And I welcome these conversations, as a result of civilized debate is significant to democracy, and it’s the better of America.
Now during the last couple of nights, we have now all seen courageous individuals stroll onto the stage and share their most personal ache. Amanda and Josh, Caitlin, Hadley, they informed us their tales of rape and incest and close to dying experiences from having the state deny them the abortion their physician defined was medically mandatory. And so they informed us this stuff for one motive, and that’s to maintain what occurred to them from occurring to anyone else, as a result of if you happen to do not need autonomy over this, over this, if you happen to can’t management when and the way you select to deliver your youngsters into this world and the way they’re raised and supported, there isn’t any American dream. The ladies and men who’re battling to maintain us from going again to a time of desperation and disgrace and stone chilly worry, they’re the brand new freedom fighters. And make no mistake, they’re the very best of America.
I wish to discuss now about any individual who isn’t with us tonight. Tessie Prevost Williams was born in New Orleans not lengthy after the Supreme Court docket dominated that segregated public faculties had been unconstitutional. That was in 1954, similar yr i used to be born. However I didn’t have to move to first grade on the all-white Madonna with a U.S.. Marshal by my facet at an all white faculty. After I bought to high school, the constructing wasn’t empty prefer it was for Tessie. You see, somewhat than permitting Madonna to be built-in, dad and mom pulled their youngsters out of the college, leaving solely Tessie and two different little black women, Gail Etienne and Leona Tate, to take a seat in a classroom with the home windows papered over to dam snipers from attacking their six-year-old our bodies.
Tessie handed away six weeks in the past. And I inform this story to honor her tonight. As a result of she, like Ruby Bridges and her pals Leona and Gail, the New Orleans 4, they had been known as, they broke limitations and paid dearly for it.
Nevertheless it was the grace and guts and braveness of girls like Tessie Prevost Williams that paved the best way for one more younger lady, who, 9 years later, turned a part of the second class to combine in public faculties in Berkeley, California. And it appears to me that at college and at house, any individual did an exquisite job of exhibiting this younger lady learn how to problem the individuals on the prime and empower the individuals on the backside. They confirmed her how to have a look at the world and see not simply what’s, however what could be. They instilled in her a ardour for justice and freedom and the wonderful preventing spirit essential to pursue that zeal. And shortly, and really quickly, quickly and really quickly, we’re going to be instructing our daughters and sons about how this youngster of an Indian mom and a Jamaican father, two idealistic and energetic immigrants, immigrants, how this youngster grew as much as change into the forty seventh president of the US — how this youngster grew as much as change into the forty seventh president of the US! That’s the better of America!
Let me inform you this. This election isn’t about us and them. It’s about you and me. And what we would like our futures to appear to be. There are selections to be made once we forged our poll. Now there’s a sure candidate that claims we solely should go to the polls only one time after which we are going to by no means should do it once more. Effectively, you already know what? You’re looking at a registered unbiased who’s proud to vote many times and once more as a result of I’m an American and that’s what Individuals do. Voting is the very best of America. And I’ve all the time, since i used to be eligible to vote, I’ve all the time voted my values. And that’s what is required on this election, now greater than ever. So i’m calling on all you independents and all you undecideds. ¥ou know that is true. You realize I’m telling you the reality. That values and character matter most of all. In management and in life. And greater than something, you already know that is true, that decency and respect are on the poll in 2024. And simply plain widespread sense. Widespread sense tells you that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz may give us decency and respect. They’re those to present it to us. So, we’re Individuals. Allow us to select loyalty to the structure over loyalty to any particular person. As a result of that’s the better of America. And allow us to select optimism over cynicism, as a result of that’s the better of America. And allow us to select inclusion over retribution, widespread sense over nonsense, as a result of that’s the better of America! And allow us to select the candy promise of tomorrow over the bitter return to yesterday. We won’t return. We received’t be despatched again, pushed again, kicked again, we aren’t going again.
Allow us to select fact. Allow us to select honor. Allow us to select pleasure! As a result of that’s the better of America! However greater than something else, allow us to select freedom. Why? As a result of that’s the better of America! We’re all Individuals, and collectively, allow us to all select Kamala Harris! Thanks, Chicago.
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