WARNING: Descriptions of gun violence.
Gun control and violence prevention advocates, including Georgia Rep. Lucy McBath, spoke Thursday on the final night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, a night focused on the future as Harris officially accepted her party’s nomination for president.
READ MORE: At the end of the Democratic Party Convention, Kamala Harris calls on voters to forge a “new path forward.”
Under the spotlight, each speaker shared how their lives have been changed by gun violence. Speakers included a teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut; the mother of a first-grader murdered at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas; the aunt of a woman whose murder on a South Carolina beach was never solved; and a young man who witnessed a drive-by shooting at his Chicago high school. McBath’s son was killed by a gunman.
After the four spoke, McBath concluded with a call to action.
“Our losses do not weaken us. They strengthen our resolve. We will build the safer future that we all deserve. We will organize. We will advocate. We will run for office. And we will join with Americans from small towns and big cities to keep our communities safe,” McBath said. “And we will elect politicians like Kamala Harris who will not only show compassion, but take action.”
Harris’ speech is her first official opportunity to present her vision for the country to voters. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz officially accepted the nomination for vice president the day before.
