Former Vice President Kamala Harris issued a warning to Americans about “shadows gathering over our democracy,” in a speech on Saturday night at the 56th NAACP Image Awards.
The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee was honored with the NAACP Chairman’s Award for service to the nation.
After taking the stage inside the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California, Harris urged the audience to take action.
She compared what’s happening today in Washington as the Trump administration rolls back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts — to the racial climate in the U.S. when the NAACP was founded in 1909.
“This organization came into being at a moment when our country struggled with greed, bitterness and hatred,” Harris said. “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.”
Related: NAACP Image Awards 2025 – Complete Winners List
She told the audience to remain vigilant and “actively participate in the fight for America’s future.”
“We know exactly what to do, because we have done it before and we will do it again. We use our power, we organize, mobilize, educate and advocate,” Harris stated. “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.”
She continued, “While we have no illusions about what we are up against in this chapter in 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.”
The California native concluded her speech by thanking the audience and saying, “God bless you and God bless the United States of America.”
Harris received a standing ovation from the audience, and attended the ceremony with husband Doug Emhoff
The NAACP’s Chairman’s Award honors individuals “who excel in public service and leverage their unique platforms to ignite and drive meaningful change.”
Past honorees include poet Amanda Gorman, legendary actor Samuel L. Jackson, late U.S. Congressman John Lewis, late actress and activist Ruby Dee, actor and activist Danny Glover, Rev. James Lawson, Tyler Perry, then-Senator Barack Obama, Congressman Bennie G. Thompson, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, and former Surgeon General Regina Benjamin.
Watch Kamala Harris deliver her full speech in the video below:
Discover more from Urban Hollywood 411
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
