And to the woman most responsible for my presence here today, my mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, who is always in our hearts.
When she came here from India at the age of 19, she maybe didn't quite imagine this moment.
But she believed so deeply in an America where a moment like this is possible.
And so, I'm thinking about her and about the generations of women, Black women, Asian, white, Latina, Native American women— who throughout our nation's history have paved the way for this moment tonight— women who fought and sacrificed so much for equality and liberty and justice for all, including the Black women, who are often—too often overlooked but so often prove they are the backbone of our democracy.
All the women who have worked to secure and protect the right to vote for over a century: 100 years ago with the 19th Amendment, 55 years ago with the Voting Rights Act, and now in 2020, with a new generation of women in our country who cast their ballots and continue to fight for their fundamental right to vote and be heard.
Tonight I reflect on their struggle, their determination, and the strength of their vision to see what can be unburdened by what has been, and I stand on their shoulders.
And what a testament it is to Joe's character that he had the audacity to break one of the most substantial barriers that exists in our country and select a woman as his vice president!
But while I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last.
Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.
And to the children of our country, regardless of your gender, our country has sent you a clear message: Dream with ambition, lead with conviction, and see yourselves in a way that others may not, simply because they've never seen it before.
