Kamala Harris urges people to ‘use our power’ as she collects award
In her first major public appearance since leaving office, the former vice president did not reference her election loss.
Former vice president Kamala Harris offers a sobering message as she colected an award at the NAACP Image Awards stage on Saturday night.
She called the civil rights organisation a pillar of the black community and urged people to stay resilient and hold onto their faith during the tenure of President Donald Trump.
“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,” Ms Harris said after receiving the NAACP’s Chairman’s Award.
“The American story will be written by you. Written by us. By we the people.”
Defeated by Mr Trump in last year’s presidential election, sge was the first woman and the first person of colour to serve as vice president.
She had previously been a US senator from California and the state’s attorney general.
The 56th annual Image Awards at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium marked her first major public appearance since leaving office.
Ms Harris did not reference her election loss or Mr Trump’s actions since entering the Oval Office, although Mr Trump mocked her earlier in the day at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
She spoke about eternal vigilance, the price of liberty, staying alert, seeking the truth and America’s future.
“Some see the flames on our horizons, the rising waters in our cities, the shadows gathering over our democracy and ask ‘What do we do now?’,” Ms Harris said.
“But we know exactly what to do because we have done it before. And we will do it again. We use our power.
“We organise, mobilise. We educate. We advocate. Our power has never come from having an easy path.”
Other winners of the Chairman’s Prize have included former President Barack Obama.
Image Awards host Deon Cole also honoured residents of the nearby Altadena neighbourhood who were affected by a recent Los Angeles-area wildfire.
The ceremony took place in Pasadena, just south of the Altadena area, and a video of last month’s fire devastation played before actor Morris Chestnut took the stage.
Ms Harris was honoured during the ceremony along with the Wayans family — Keenen Ivory Wayans, Damon Wayans Sr, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Kim Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr — whose impact on film, TV, sketch and stand-up comedy has shaped Hollywood on and off screen, were each being recognised.
