Kamala Harris Shared a Powerful Message for Young Gen Z Voters

For many members of Gen Z, for whom this election represented their first opportunity to vote, this morning’s presidential election results were not what they had hoped.

Whether there were tears, feelings of powerlessness, anger, or all of the above, for the Gen Z voters who were #TeamKamala, it was a difficult night and an even worse morning.

However, this afternoon, Vice President Harris gave a concession speech at Howard University, her alma mater, that sought to look forward rather than backward and to re-invigorate Gen Z voters.

Harris’s decision to hold the speech at a college revealed her wish to reach the ears and eyes of young people. The camera repeatedly panned to teary-eyed students and other young folks over the course of the speech, showing that Gen Z felt this election’s results especially viscerally. With the visibly distressed young voters in mind, Harris had the following to say:

“To the young people who are watching: It is okay to feel sad and disappointed, but please know it’s going to be okay. On The campaign, I would often say, ‘When we fight, we win.’ But here’s the thing, here’s the thing: Sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn’t mean we won’t win. That doesn’t mean we won’t win. The important thing is, don’t ever give up. Don’t ever give up. Don’t ever stop trying to make the world a better place. You have power. You have power, and don’t you ever listen when anyone tells you something is impossible because it has never been done before.”

When SheKnows polled our Gen Z council, we learned that around 80 percent of respondents believe their vote will make a difference. Harris’s words affirmed this belief — and invited a call to action:

“You have the capacity to do extraordinary good in the world,” she said. “And so to everyone who is watching, do not despair. This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is 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.”