--- description: Kamala Harris called on Americans to "believe in what we can do together" in her first speech as Vice President following her inauguration. title: Kamala Harris Sounds Note of Optimism in First Speech as Vice President image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc3d31fb6ac3edbaf/698a1695656a3fc296bdaf1a/kamala-harris-inauguration.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [White House](/tag/white-house/) ## White House Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 'We Are Undaunted.' Kamala Harris Sounds a Note of Optimism in Her First Speech as Vice President  by [Michael Zennie](/author/michael-zennie/)  ## Michael Zennie Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 21, 2021 3:09 AM CUT  Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the "Celebrating America" inaugural program at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2021, after being sworn in at the U.S. Capitol earlier in the day. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the "Celebrating America" inaugural program at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2021, after being sworn in at the U.S. Capitol earlier in the day.Nicholas Kamm–AFP/Getty Images  by [Michael Zennie](/author/michael-zennie/)  ## Michael Zennie Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 21, 2021 3:09 AM CUT Kamala Harris called on Americans to “believe in what we can do together” in her first speech as [Vice President of the United States](https://time.com/person-of-the-year-2020-kamala-harris-white-house/ "undefined"). In short remarks during the live Inauguration Day broadcast Wednesday night, she sounded a note of optimism as the U.S. faces the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, an economic downturn, racial injustice and political division that sparked recent violence in the U.S. Capitol. “We not only dream, we do. We not only see what has been, we see what can be,” Harris said, of Americans. “We shoot for the moon and then we plant our flag on it. We are bold, fearless, and ambitious.” She added: “We are undaunted in our belief that we shall overcome, that we will rise up.” Harris, formerly a U.S. Senator from California, [broke barriers when she was sworn in](https://time.com/5908579/kamala-harris-historic-vice-president/ "undefined") earlier Wednesday: The first woman Vice President, the first Black Vice President and the first South Asian Vice President. She opened her speech with a nod to the historic moment: “It is my honor to be here, to stand on the shoulders of those who came before, to speak tonight as your Vice President.” Harris struck a similar tone as her running-mate. President Biden, in his speech shortly after being sworn in, urged Americans to “end this uncivil war” that has pitted the country against itself. He pledged to “fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did.” One of Harris’ first duties was to swear in three new Senators: Alex Padilla, who is taking Harris’ seat in the Senate, and Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, Democrats who won Senate runoff races in Georgia earlier this month. The action effectively gives Democrats control of the Senate—the chamber is divided 50-50, but Harris will cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie. Read the full transcript of Vice President Harris’ speech below: --- > “” --- ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5931955/kamala-harris-vice-president-inauguration-speech/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5931955/kamala-harris-vice-president-inauguration-speech/"},"headline":"'We Are Undaunted.' 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Kamala Harris Sounds a Note of Optimism in Her First Speech as Vice President"}}]}] ```