This story was originally published by Mirror Indy.
By Peter Blanchard
Mirror Indy
July 24, 2024
Seeing a Black woman run for president was something Erica Lewis could only dream about as a kid.
“To see it actually happen, especially at a time like this, where we are still experiencing racism, I’m very excited,” Lewis said.
Her excitement was palpable at the Indiana Convention Center on Wednesday, where Lewis and members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., one of the “Divine Nine” Black Greek-letter organizations, gathered to listen to Vice President Kamala Harris deliver remarks.
Lewis’ dream of a Black woman becoming commander in chief took a big step toward reality this week when President Joe Biden shocked the world by announcing he would not seek reelection. He named Harris as his preferred replacement on the Democratic ticket in the 2024 election.
Democratic delegates will vote on Biden’s replacement next month, but Harris appears to be barreling toward a nomination.
Top party leaders along with several state delegations, including California, Indiana and Texas, have endorsed Harris as their preferred pick.
In Indianapolis, meanwhile, what had been a previously planned appearance for Harris ended up serving as something of an early campaign rally for the presumptive nominee.
Harris’ biggest ovation of the day came after she uttered a phrase the crowd so desperately wanted to hear.
“When I am president of the United States” — Harris could barely get through the rest of her sentence over the noise of the crowd.
But she finished her comment in support of abortion rights: ”And when Congress passes a law to restore those freedoms, I will sign it into law.”
As Harris took the stage Wednesday to address the crowd, the room of 6,000 erupted in applause.
Harris began her 15-minute speech by thanking President Biden for his “extraordinary determination and profound compassion for the people of our country” before touting the accomplishments of their administration.
Then she outlined her campaign agenda, which centered on a message of economic and social justice.
She called for measures to address gun violence, including a ban on assault weapons, a national red flag law and universal background checks.
She also took shots at Project 2025, a wide-ranging initiative of the right-wing Heritage Foundation that calls for sharply reducing environmental regulations, eliminating coverage of emergency contraception under the Affordable Care Act and infusing government with what the group describes as Christian values.
“Can you believe they put that in writing?” Harris asked. “These extremists want to take America back to a dark past, but we are not going back.”
And she took aim at former President Donald Trump for appointing three Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, a decision that wiped away abortion rights in dozens of states.
After the applause died down, Harris underscored her determination: “We are not playing around.”
Lewis, who visited Indianapolis from Tennessee to see Harris, also has a personal reason to be invested in the outcome of the election.
She was one of 5 million Americans to have their student loan debt forgiven under the Biden-Harris administration’s student loan debt relief plan — before the Supreme Court issued a decision that blocked the agenda from helping any more people.
“The relief that that has provided for me has been absolutely life-changing,” said Lewis, “and you do intend to pay the loans back and make payments, but sometimes it feels like (the debt) just didn’t move. And so that has absolutely been a relief for my family.”
Harris concluded her remarks with a call to action, encouraging members of Zeta Phi Beta to register people to vote and, if necessary, help get them to the ballot box in November.
“We know when we organize, mountains move. When we mobilize, nations change. And when we vote, we make history.”
Peter Blanchard covers local government. Reach him at 317-605-4836 or peter.blanchard@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @peterlblanchard.
