‘Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars’: Kamala Harris provides message of hope in rousing concession speech

As the country reels from Donald Trump’s shocking presidential victory, his opponent, Kamala Harris, has arrived with a rousing message of hope and unity. 

The former Democratic presidential candidate, who will go down in history for the brevity and grace of her campaign, delivered a concession speech at Howard University, just one day after learning she had lost the election to Trump. Not soured by the defeat, Harris’ speech was one of motivation and optimism, as she urged those devastated by the election result to “not despair” and to remain engaged and vigilant as Trump enters his second term in the White House. 

Ahead of her 11-minute speech, Harris arrived on stage to a chorus of chants, before admitting that while she “concede[s] this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign.” She went on to reveal that she had called the president-elect earlier in the day to congratulate him on his victory, pledging to Trump that she and Joe Biden would “engage in a peaceful transfer of power.” Not like the one in 2020. 

From there, the vice president dove deep into her vision of both the campaign and the nation, saying her heart is “full of love for our country” and that “America’s promise will always burn bright.” It’s a message of hope that ran all throughout her speech, as Harris defined her campaign as a “fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness and the dignity of all people.” 

In one of the most inspirational moments, Harris said it was “a fight I will never give up.” That spirit of resilience was later felt as the vice president acknowledged the fear among her supporters of what the next four years might look like under President Trump. “Here’s the thing, sometimes the fight takes a while,” she assured the crowd, “that doesn’t mean we won’t win.” Harris went on to deliver a rousing message imploring voters not to give up, saying it is “not a time to throw up your hands” and is instead “a time to roll up our sleeves.”

“This is a time to organize, to mobilize and to stay engaged for the sake of freedom and justice and the future that we all know we can build together,” Harris said. The former presidential candidate concluded her speech with an adage from an unidentified source, one that we all hope rings true as we grapple with the results of Election Day. “Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars,” Harris said, before reiterating her vision of a brighter America that is filled with the “light of optimism, of faith, of truth and service.”

It bookends a whirlwind 13-week campaign that saw Harris become the Democratic nominee just weeks before the DNC. Along the way, she became the first mixed race presidential candidate, enjoyed an unprecedented surge in popularity, became a bonafide internet sensation, led a celebratory political convention, hosted packed-out rallies, walloped her opponent on the debate stage, and withstood that opponent’s attacks on her race, gender and intelligence. Heck, she even made time to appear on Saturday Night Live opposite a parody version of herself. 

If coming all that way just to be defeated feels dire, we can take with us one of the most memorable moments from Harris’ concession speech. “To the young people who are watching, it is OK to feel sad and disappointed, but please know it’s going to be OK,” she said. “On the campaign, I would often say, when we fight, we win.”