--- title: Harris Electrifies Historically Black Sorority's Gathering description: Harris drew a rapturous response at the Zeta Phi Beta conference, days after she became her party's presumptive nominee for president. canonical: https://time.com/7002871/kamala-harris-speech-black-sorority/ author: Brian Bennett article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-07-24T19:27:11.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-01-19T08:56:48.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Harris Electrifies Historically Black Sorority's Gathering og:description: Harris drew a rapturous response at the Zeta Phi Beta conference, days after she became her party's presumptive nominee for president. og:url: https://time.com/7002871/kamala-harris-speech-black-sorority/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt504c7656c136675a/698a593247ca389c203bdcbf/GettyImages-2162683713.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: US-VOTE-POLITICS-HARRIS og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Harris Electrifies Historically Black Sorority's Gathering twitter:description: Harris drew a rapturous response at the Zeta Phi Beta conference, days after she became her party's presumptive nominee for president. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt504c7656c136675a/698a593247ca389c203bdcbf/GettyImages-2162683713.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'We Are Not Playing Around': Harris Electrifies Room at Historically Black Sorority's Conference > Sponsored content. 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Vice President Kamala Harris told members of the historically Black sorority Zeta Phi Beta on Wednesday that “we are not playing around” and asked for their help in electing her president in November._  by [Brian Bennett/Indianapolis](https://time.com/author/brian-bennett/)  ## Brian Bennett/Indianapolis Bennett is a former senior White House correspondent at TIME. Updated: Jan 19, 2026 8:56 AM UTCPublished: Jul 24, 2024 7:27 PM UTC Vice President Kamala Harris told members of the historically Black sorority Zeta Phi Beta on Wednesday that “we are not playing around” and asked for their help in electing her president in November.  by [Brian Bennett/Indianapolis](https://time.com/author/brian-bennett/)  ## Brian Bennett/Indianapolis Bennett is a former senior White House correspondent at TIME. Updated: Jan 19, 2026 8:56 AM UTCPublished: Jul 24, 2024 7:27 PM UTC Applause thundered down the massive convention hall as Vice President Kamala Harris walked to the microphone in Indianapolis on Wednesday. When Harris had agreed to speak to the national conference for Zeta Phi Beta sorority, she didn’t know it would be days after she became the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee for president. For the 6,000 Black sorority sisters in the room, the thrill of greeting one of their own at this historic moment was palpable. “We love you!” said someone in the audience. “And I love you back!” said Harris, who had been a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha when she studied at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Both Zeta Phi Beta and Alpha Kappa Alpha are part of the influential historically Black Divine Nine sororities and fraternities The women in the room came from across generations and across the country. Many of them had marched for voting rights, economic justice and to end racial segregation in the early 1960s and had worked on national campaigns to improve women’s health care. Many in the room, Harris said, had helped elect Joe Biden president and her vice president. And Harris called on them to help get out the vote in their communities in November. “Now is the moment our nation needs your leadership once again,” Harris said. “We face a choice between two different visions. One focused on the future, the other focused on the past. With your support, I am fighting for our nation’s future.” **Read More**: [_Who Could Be Kamala Harris’ Running Mate? Here’s the Shortlist_](https://time.com/7001222/kamala-harris-vp-pick-list/) Harris said she is pushing for affordable health care for everyone, which is why the Biden administration capped insulin for seniors at $35 a month. She said she believes in building an economy for working people, which is why she and Biden forgave student loan debt for more than 5 million Americans. Loud cheers went up again in the room. “If you or anyone you know benefited from that, please testify!” Harris said. Several people stood and waved. “We are witnessing a full-on assault on hard won freedoms,” she said. She described measures making it harder to vote and states passing abortion restrictions. “When I am President of the United States,” she started, the words sending 6,000 people to their feet in deafening applause, “and when Congress passes a law” to restore nationwide access to abortion, she said she would sign it. The loud clapping kept going. “We are not playing around!” Harris continued. “We know when we mobilize, mountains move. When we mobilize, nations change. When we mobilize, we make history.” **Read more**: [_How Harris Is Pivoting From Biden’s Campaign Message_](https://time.com/7002596/kamala-harris-campaign-biden/) While Harris was in Indianapolis, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington, D.C. addressing a joint session of Congress. Vice Presidents often preside over such sessions involving a world leader. Harris is scheduled to meet with Netanyahu on Thursday, according to her office. Before Harris came on stage, Betty Loveless Whittle from Greenville, Ala., said she hopes Harris will “work hard to mend us, pull us together, and do what’s right for everyone.” It was the first time Whittle, 73, had attended her sorority’s national convention. Whittle was one of the founding members of the local chapter of her sorority in 1973, and she said that she never thought she would be in the same room as the Vice President. She said she could feel the significance of the moment. “In my fondest dreams, I never thought that would happen,” Whittle said. ## Transcript [00:06] In this moment, I believe we face a choice between two different visions for our nation. [00:16] One focused on the future, [00:19] the other focused on the past. [00:22] And with your support, [00:26] I am fighting for our nation's future. [00:29] We here believe in a future where all women and all mothers are safe. [00:37] That is why, as Vice President, [00:39] I have elevated and took on the issue of maternal mortality. [00:44] Knowing that women in America die at [00:49] a higher rate in connection with [00:51] childbirth than women in any other wealthy nation in the world. [00:56] And Black women are three times more likely to die in connection with childbirth. [01:01] And for too long, this has been a crisis in our country, [01:05] and it is time that we recognize the crisis it is, [01:11] and ours is a fight for freedom. [01:15] Across our nation, we are witnessing a full on assault on [01:20] hard fought hard won freedoms and rights. The freedom to vote. [01:27] The freedom to be safe from gun violence. [01:30] The freedom to live without fear of bigotry and hate. [01:34] The freedom to love who you love openly and with pride, [01:37] the freedom to learn and acknowledge [01:39] our true and full history and the freedom of a woman to make [01:43] decisions about her own body and not have her government telling her what to do. [01:50] We are not playing around. [01:55] So in conclusion to the incredible members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorody Incorporated, [02:04] I say, there is so much at stake in this moment. [02:09] There is so much at stake. And again, [02:13] then in this moment, [02:15] our nation, as it always has, [02:18] is counting on you to energize, [02:22] to organize and to mobilize, [02:26] to register folks to vote, [02:28] to get them to the polls, [02:30] and to continue to fight for the future our n and her people deserve. [02:39] And we know when we organize, [02:42] mountains move, When we mobilize nations change. [02:49] And when we vote, we make history. [02:54] So let us continue to fight with optimism, [03:00] with faith, and with hope. [03:03] Because when we fight, we win. [03:05] God bless you, and God bless the United States of America. 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