REMARKS BY VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS AT A COVID-⁠19 VACCINATION MOBILIZATION EVENT
JUNE 18, 2021
Location: Atlanta, Georgia

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hi, everyone.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)  It is so good to be back in Atlanta.  Happy afternoon, everyone.  (Applause.)  Can we please hear it for Vice President Grace Hall?  (Applause.)  We were talking backstage and sharing notes about what it means to be Vice President.  (Laughter.)

I’m so happy to be here and with all of the longstanding friends — with Reverend Warnock; we were just at Ebenezer before we came here.  It was so good to be with you.  We were there talking about, of course, what is happening in terms of the community’s power to heal, the community’s power to do the work that we know must be done in the spirit of what the Bible and everything else about life tells us about the importance of “love thy neighbor” — “love thy neighbor.” 

And that truly is the spirit with which we are gathered today: Understanding that as we have been taught, yes, your neighbor may be the person who lives next door, who — whose kids go to the same school as yours, where you, you know, go to the same local park, but what we’ve also been taught is your neighbor might be a perfect stranger and, in whose face, you see a friend.  And that is at the essence of why we are here and our “We Can Do This” effort, which is saying that we all have the ability, the power, if not the duty, to think about how we can live our lives and do deeds in the course of our life that are about lifting each other up, even if we just met a few seconds ago. 

So that’s why I am here.  First of all, just to say thank you to everyone: to Senator Raphael Warnock; to Senator Jon Ossoff; to our great Congresswoman Nikema Williams — (applause); Congressman Hank Johnson, who I know is here; Commissioner Kathleen Toomey; and Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.  Thank you all so very much for working so hard for the people of Georgia.

And, Raphael Warnock, you said it right: We have a lot to thank Georgia for.  So thank you all very much.  (Applause.)  (Laughs.)  Thank you very much. 

And we also have a lot of HBCUs represented here today.  (Applause.)  (Laughs.)  And — you know.  (Laughter.)  And I do want to acknowledge the HBCU presidents who are here.  Of course, our host President George French Jr. of Clark Atlanta University.  (Applause.)  We have President Mary Schmidt Campbell of Spelman College.  (Applause.)  President Kevin James of Morris Brown College.  (Applause.)  President Valerie Montgomery Rice of Morehouse School of Medicine.  President David Thomas of Morehouse College.  (Applause.)  President Matthew Wesley Williams of ITC.  (Applause.)

So I want to thank all of these leaders — these national leaders on the issue of education and so much more, for all you do every day to educate the future of America. 

So — and I — and we have a lot of students here.  Can I — can I hear and see the students who are here today?  (Applause.)  There we go. 

You know, every important movement, as far as I’m concerned, in our nation, every important beginning of a new era, every important moment that displayed what leadership can and should look like and fight for has been led by our students, has been led by our students.  And so, students, I want to thank you for not just the leaders you will become but the leaders you are right now.  And thank you for volunteering your time to go out into the community and help folks get vaccinated. 

Now, you all know and — and Senator Warnock shared with you, I am also a proud graduate of an HBCU.  (Applause.)  And there is a particular pride of — hopefully with not too much bravado — (laughter) — but there is a particular pride — (laughs) — that we who have attended, we who have graduated from an HBCU have in that shared experience. 

As HBCU students, you all know — you know all that you are.  You are part of a legacy.  You are part of a history that continues to reveal itself.  You are part of a legacy of those who lead with purpose, fueled by the important principle of self-determination — those who fought for progress, who knew their power; knew that, whatever their chosen profession, that they are duty-bound to dedicate themselves to a life of service, even when faced with incredible adversity.  That’s who you are.  That’s who you were born as and who you continue to be.

And as we have discussed, we are here to talk about this vaccine and the importance of folks getting vaccinated.  And so, let’s talk about this moment in which you find your role of leadership.

You know, there have been many, many, many times over the past year that we have all felt so powerless in the face of this virus.  But, students, remember: You are powerful.  And I am here to tell you that we, together, have the power to end this pandemic.

Atlanta is powerful.  When we, as Americans, join together, we are powerful.  And so, that is this moment that we find ourselves in: When in the face of so much adversity on multiple levels, but, in particular, on the issue today of the vaccine and COVID, let’s recognize that we have power in every moment of crisis, including this one.