At her alma mater Howard University in Washington D.C., Vice President Kamala Harris formally conceded and addressed the nation in an approximately 12-minute speech Wednesday afternoon. Along with figures like running mate Tim Walz, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and her husband Doug Emhoff, many young people were present in the crowd, greeting a smiling Harris as she walked on stage to Beyoncé’s “Freedom.”

The message from Harris Wednesday, who currently stands at 226 electoral votes compared to president-elect Donald Trump’s now 295, according to the Associated Press, was hopeful. “Hear me when I say, the light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up, and as long as we keep fighting,” Harris said.

Despite the magnitude of the loss being a shock for the Democratic party, Harris began by stating her gratitude for her supporters’ trust. She thanked her family, Gov. Walz, President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden, along with her campaign team, poll workers and local election officials.

Harris stated she is not only proud of the campaign she ran in only 107 days after President Biden stepped out of the race, but proud of how she ran her campaign. The campaign strategy, she noted, was intentional in building communities and unifying people from different backgrounds with “enthusiasm and joy.”

Harris then acknowledged the “range of emotions” many are feeling after the loss. The chosen Howard University location was intended to stand as the historic site of Harris’s victory speech just last night, until deciding not to speak on the campus when a tense race tightened up and two battleground states – North Carolina and Georgia – were called for Trump.

Contrary to her opponent, who in 2020 refused to accept the results of the election and then baselessly claimed a rigged vote, Harris stressed the importance of a peaceful transition of power. She spoke with Trump and congratulated him on his victory earlier today.

“A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results,” she said, further emphasizing the founding value’s distinction from a monarchy. “… At the same time, we owe loyalty not to a president, or a party, but to the Constitution of the United States.” The line gathered strong applause.

She went on to say, while conceding the 2024 election, “I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign.”

Harris declared she will not give up on the issues her campaign centered on, including the fight to protect a woman’s right to an abortion, schools and streets from gun violence, equal justice and the rule of law, and the upholding of fundamental rights and freedoms.

Both her campaign and the speech itself rooted in a common theme to not give up the fight, most notably through the mantra, “When we fight, we win.” Addressing the Howard campus Wednesday, Harris said the fight will continue in the voting booths, courts and public square.

But it’ll also be fought “in quieter ways,” Harris said, by treating each other with respect and kindness in our everyday lives. She noted the journey for freedom will take hard work – something Harris encouraged to embrace: “We like hard work. Hard work is good work. Hard work can be joyful work.”

Acknowledging the young people watching, Harris said what’s important now is to never give up and to continue to make the world a better place. “Sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn’t mean we won’t win,” she said.

The Harris-Walz campaign made a broad effort to appeal to young voters, specifically through social media. The Associated Press’s VoteCast survey found that the support from voters aged 18 to 29 leaned towards Harris at 52 percent, but only by a six percent margin, a substantial drop from 2020.

She closed on a note of optimism and motivation urging people to stay engaged – and to organize and mobilize for a better future of freedom: “Let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion of stars. The light of optimism, of faith, of truth and service … And may that work guide us even in the face of setbacks toward the extraordinary promise of the United States of America.”

Inauguration Day will take place Jan. 20, 2025.

Caitlin Reardon can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X @caitlinjreardon.