Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination for president in a speech Aug. 22 at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, which can be seen in a video from the DNC YouTube channel.

Candidates typically use the nomination acceptance speech to frame the narrative around who they are and what they embody, University of Wisconsin communication arts professor Allison Prasch said.

“I think for Harris in particular, a key element of the narrative that she was offering is telling her own life story,” Prasch said. “… Given the extraordinary circumstances of this very short presidential campaign that she has been running, that was one of the primary things she needed to do in this speech.”

Harris frequently mentioned her upbringing in a working family and how the women in her life shaped her experience, Prasch said. Harris’ speech, and the DNC in general, focused on women’s ability to become strong leaders, Prasch said. 

The convention featured various influential women — including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Oprah Winfrey  — who could be inspiring to voters, Prasch said. 

“I think it [the DNC] was really designed to present this image of Kamala Harris as not just a singular individual, but really the product of many decades of hard work and struggle,” Prasch said. 

Harris also pledged to “trust women” and reiterated her support for reproductive rights — both of which could be a direct appeal to younger voters, Prasch said. 

But, these appeals are not limited to young people, and Harris strategically engaged all voters through her overarching theme of unity, Prasch said.

On the war in Gaza, Harris unified two competing perspectives — expressing her support for Israel’s right to defend itself, while also acknowledging that massive loss of life and destruction is unacceptable, Prasch said. 

Prasch said Harris’ campaign slogan, “We’re not going back,” emphasizes her desire to inject hope for the nation’s future and is a juxtaposition to former President Donald Trump’s more backward looking slogan of, “Make America great again.”

“It was a necessity for her to embody this American story of progress, self determination and willingness to work hard to get where she’s been,” Prasch said. “… She really is drawing an implicit contrast with her vision of progress in terms of forward momentum.”