VP Harris surprises Black legislators at conference, delivers hopeful message about 2025 and beyond

TheGrio was on the ground as Vice President Kamala Harris surprised Black state legislators in Washington, D.C., on Thursday for the National Black Caucus of State Legislators’ 48th Annual Legislative Conference, held at the Capital Hilton hotel. 

The rare vice-presidential appearance came exactly one month after Harris’ defeat in the 2024 presidential election to President-elect Donald Trump. It also marked her first public in-person remarks since conceding the election on Nov. 6. 

The audience of approximately a few hundred Black state legislators broke out in roaring applause as Harris took to the stage inside a ballroom with more than two dozen dining tables. “We love you!” shouted a woman in the audience.

The vice president, who wished the audience a happy holiday season, thanked the room of Black elected officials from across the country for their support of her historic campaign and ongoing commitment as public servants. While many Democrats, particularly Black Democrats, remain anguished by Harris’ devastating defeat, Harris said now is the time to “reinvigorate ourselves.”

“You all are the soldiers on the ground and in the field, and I know that everyone is here together in fellowship to rededicate ourselves to the work yet to be done,” said Harris, who emphasized to state legislators that their work in state capitals across the country “benefits people that, for the most part, may never know your name or mine. People you may never meet.”

The vice president continued, “Yours is the work that is also the calling that our country makes; that asks of each of us to believe in the promise of America and then do everything we can to help our nation realize that promise on behalf of everyone, no matter who they are, where they live, [or] what they look like.”

Though Harris did not explicitly refer to President-elect Trump and his incoming administration — which is currently embroiled in controversy over some of his cabinet picks — she acknowledged that 2025 would be an “important year.”

“I know that’s part of what the conference has been about; to think about how we are going to use the limited resources we have to serve the greatest number of people and to lift those up,” she said. Harris added, “I am here also to thank you in advance for that pledge that you have made and continue to make.”

Tennessee State Rep. Torrey Harris (no relation to Vice President Harris), who was in attendance at Thursday’s conference, told theGrio he was “touched” by the vice president’s “genuine” message to Black state legislators. 

“It was very inspiring, and you could see how happy she was to be here,” said Torrey, who represents District 90 in Memphis and was elected Tennessee’s first openly LGBTQ and youngest lawmaker in 2020.

Vice President Harris’ appearance at the NBCSL conference was kept a secret until she hit the stage. Rep. Harris noted that by not making the brief visit a “media event,” it was “clear how much [VP Harris] loves NBCSL and the attendees and how much we love her,” adding, “This wasn’t an appearance for show — it was an expression of gratitude and love.”

Other high-profile Democrats attended the conference on Thursday, including former Georgia State Representative Stacey Abrams and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. Rep. Torrey Harris described the day as “historic and inspiring,” telling theGrio, “I feel honored to have been fortunate to take part in such a momentous occasion”

The Tennessee lawmaker acknowledged that Vice President Harris’ appearance was an “emotional moment for all of us.” Many of the state legislators, he noted, “worked hard with her for 107 days” during her historically truncated presidential campaign. 

“While we were not successful, the momentum continues, and VP Harris understands the role NBCSL plays in our states and communities,” said Rep. Harris. “It is clear that Vice President Harris is not going anywhere and that not only is her political future bright, but it also says that NBCSL, too, will not be going anywhere. We all have a plan to continue this work.”

At the end of her remarks, the vice president told the room of Black lawmakers that as they “reflect on this past year, let us remember we have impact in every way, and we have taken on the work of building community and coalition.

“That’s what we do and do so well,” she added.

Repeating a line she often said on the campaign trail, Kamala Harris declared, “Yes, it will be hard work, but hard work is good work. Hard work is joyful work.

“We are up for the moment to see it through and get it done,” she concluded. “And yes, we will do it with joy in our hearts and with our commitment to the fight that is about lifting up all people, recognizing everyone’s right to opportunity, to dignity, to freedom.”