Kamala Harris urges Indiana convention of historically Black sorority to 'make history' in November

July 24 (UPI) -- Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Indianapolis on Wednesday, where she called on members of the historically Black sorority Zeta Phi Beta to "make history" with their votes in November.

"We know when we organize, mountains move; when we mobilize, nations change; and when we vote, we make history ," Harris said. "So let us continue to fight with optimism and faith and hope. Because when we fight, we win."

Harris spoke for 15 minutes to approximately 6,000 members of the historically Black sorority at the Indiana Convention Center during its biannual conference , where she touted her work with the Biden administration -- including student loan debt forgiveness, affordable childcare, paid family leave and lowered prescription drug costs -- and warned that former President Donald Trump would "return America to a dark past."

"Across our nation, we are witnessing a full-on assault on hard-fought, hard-won freedoms and rights: the freedom to vote, the freedom to be safe from gun violence, the freedom to live without fear of bigotry and hate, the freedom to love who you love openly and with pride, the freedom to learn and acknowledge our true and full history, and the freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not have her government telling her what to do," Harris said.

"In this moment, I believe we face a choice between two different visions for our nation, one focused on the future, the other focused on the past, and with your support, I am fighting for our nation's future, and let us be clear about what that future looks like," Harris added.

Harris is in her first full week of campaigning as the presumptive Democratic nominee for president after President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he would not seek re-election.

During her speech, she talked about Biden's address to the country Wednesday night, when he will discuss his recent decision to withdraw from the presidential race.

"Tonight, our president will address the nation about his decision to step down as a candidate, and he will talk about not only the work, the extraordinary work that he has accomplished, but about his work in the next six months," Harris said.

Harris, a graduate of HBCU Howard University in Washington, is a member of another Black sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha. Wednesday's speech marked an opportunity for Harris to galvanize support among Black voters, a key demographic group in the 2024 election.

"To have the honor of being visited by the sitting vice president of the United States is a great honor for our organization," Stacie Grant, international president and CEO of Zeta Phi Beta told WXIN-TV . "It is a first for us and we are thrilled."

"We are so excited to have her come but I'm a little nervous," Kansas City convention attendee Daphne Caldwell told WISH-TV. "It feels like women are going to be empowered. We can't wait to hear all the policies she has for us. And not just for women but for everyone in the whole country."

On Tuesday, Black Lives Matter released a statement to demand the Democratic National Committee hold a virtual snap primary before its convention in August, calling out the "undemocratic process" that led to Harris becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee.

"If Kamala Harris is to be the nominee, it must be through a process that upholds democratic principles and public participation," the group said.

Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance also traveled to Indiana on Wednesday but did not cross paths with Harris, as he was scheduled to speak in Fort Wayne at a Republican fundraiser.