Former Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a stirring and deeply personal speech at the Leading Women Defined Summit on April 3, 2025, in California, that underscored the power of sisterhood, the urgency of political engagement, and the importance of collective courage in the face of fear.

Reflecting on her first appearance at the summit in 2016, Harris opened by thanking summit founder Debra Lee and the community of trailblazing Black women in the room. “This is a moment in time where we all need to be in rooms like this,” she said, emphasizing the power of connection and community in turbulent times. “No one can take our identity or existence from us — because we won’t let them.”

In her signature blend of warmth and forthrightness, Harris mixed humor with vulnerability. She joked about nearly skipping the glam: “If I hadn’t had something else to do today, I would not have come here with my hair blow-dried.” But quickly pivoted to the seriousness of the moment, saying, “Yes, this is a very different time than in 2016… A lot has changed.”

Throughout her remarks, Harris returned again and again to one theme: what has not changed — the passion, purpose, and collective power of Black women. “What has not changed is our sisterhood,” she said. “What has not changed is our understanding of the great shoulders upon which we stand — and the great shoulders we possess.”

But the Harris didn’t shy away from addressing the country’s political reality. With policies she once championed being rolled back and progress under attack, she warned of a culture of fear taking hold in America. “We are seeing people stay quiet. We are seeing organizations stay quiet. We are seeing capitulation to clearly unconstitutional threats,” she said, her tone somber.

Yet, even in this moment of reckoning, Harris offered hope: “Fear is contagious… but courage is contagious too.”

To a standing ovation, she reminded attendees that bravery isn’t about the absence of fear — it’s about pushing forward anyway. “The courage to say what is happening is wrong. The courage to say there is a path forward. The courage to hold onto the democracy we still have.”

As she closed, Harris emphasized the values that ground her leadership: kindness, character, and care. “There’s great power in this room. And yes, the world is watching. But more importantly, there are people counting on us — to be kind, to be fierce, and to be together.”