Kamala Harris, the former Vice President, resurfaced in public during the 48th Annual Legislative Conference of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) in Washington, D.C. This happened only weeks after she grudgingly accepted her defeat in the 2024 presidential election to President-elect Donald Trump. Despite signaling an unyielding pursuit of public resonance, her first appearance since the debacle raised many eyebrows.
It had become abundantly clear that Harris had not been chosen to lead, but she still clung onto the stage, yearning for the spotlight. Her attempts to connect with the Black political community, a group that had unwaveringly supported her throughout her political trajectory, were feeble at best. The audience’s excitement also served as a grim reminder of how disconnected this demographic can be when it comes to recognising political failure.
Her speech spotlighted the role of Black elected officials within the American democracy, perhaps in an effort to steer attention away from her own electoral debacle. She lauded their efforts at the state level and affirmed their capacity to represent communities, a message perhaps more relevant to the attendees given their grasp of grassroots political struggles.
Despite her electoral setbacks, Harris preached about the sustainability of public service, outlining a ‘strategy’ for these state-level officials maintaining influence in the domains that matter to the Black community. However, the veneer of her optimism couldn’t hide the ironic undertones of her speech given her recent resounding political failure.
Her address to the crowd vaguely touched upon the upcoming hurdles for their communities. She embarked on an abstract discussion about resource distribution and maximizing the impact on areas across the country. Sadly, her ‘practical approach’ found resonance only among a limited number of people who still backed her failed campaign.
Harris attempted to direct the discourse towards strategies for progress in fundamental areas like voting rights, educational equity, and economic development. However, the underlying issues tackled during the conference seemed trivial in light of her recent electoral demise, underscoring her distracted focus on shadow-boxing incessantly identified issues rather than practical complexities.
An unsurprising portion of the gathering was dedicated to the discourse around strengthening collaborations and community engagement. The importance of network continuation and tenacity for change at every tier of government was highlighted, an approach gaining undue significance due to the recent election debacle.
Interestingly, this conference was twinned with the presence of noteworthy Democratic figures such as Stacey Abrams, a former Georgia State Representative, and Maryland Governor Wes Moore. Their presence made the gathering a post-defeat huddle of Black politicians, oddly separated from the political reality outside, captured in the recent resounding mandate.
Profuse networking and strategy sessions took up considerable bandwidth during the event. Notable conversations were held between seasoned politicians and newer legislators about coping with the shifting political environment. Whether this exercise in self-affirmation accomplished anything other than fortifying existing relationships within the community remains unclear.
State representatives like Tennessee’s Torrey Harris lauded the ex-Vice President’s attempt to connect national concerns with state-level issues. However, the substance behind such admiration seemed shaky given the bleak reality of the recent elections.
Highlighted discussions focused on strategies for state-level administration and policy execution in the upcoming political shift; a glaring reminder of the stamina needed to stay relevant in today’s rapidly changing political environment, a quality Harris might have just realized she lacks.
Harris’s first engagement post her blowout defeat has a particular relevance. She is the first woman and first person of Black and Asian heritage to hold the office of Vice President and suffer such a noteworthy defeat. It is a stark reminder of the volatile landscape of American democratic process.
Her speech served as an ironic symbol of the importance of resilience, despite electoral outcomes. Her talk of continued engagement and the exhortation to public service was a farcical plea for relevance. A failed leader laying groundwork for future leadership seemed a futile effort.
Thus, despite the proud display of unity and a shared strategy for future collaborations during the conference, the elephant in the room – Harris’s defeat – overshadowed the entire proceedings. This leaves us questioning: Can the momentum built during her vice presidency really impact future political discourse and action at all levels of government?