Kamala Harris sister Maya explains how their late mother defined her leadership potential

Public policy advocate and lawyer Maya Harris spoke on the final night of the Democratic National Convention to attest to why her big sister, Vice President Kamala Harris , should win the 2024 race.

Maya started her speech by talking about their late mother Shyamala Gopalan Harris and the principles she instilled onto her children.

"Mommy understood the power and the possibility that comes with knowing and showing who you truly are. She knew we could be the authors of our own stories, just as she'd been the opportunity that she wanted for Kamala and me. That's a distinctly American story," Maya Harris said.

She said like many Americans, Kamala Harris knows what it is like to be an underdog in the nation. In a dig to GOP nominee Donald Trump, she said "where others want to drag us back to the past. My sister says, hold up we are not going back."

"So I wish that Mommy could be here tonight. I can just see her smiling, saying how proud she is of KamalaAnd then, without missing a beat, she'd say, 'that's enough. You got work to do,'" Maya Harris said.

Watch Maya Harris' complete DNC convention speech

DNC Day 4: Live coverage of speaker schedule, Kamala Harris to take the stage

What to know about Maya Harris

• Who she is: Maya Harris is a lawyer and democratic policy advisor from California. A Stanford Law School graduate, she previously worked as Senior Policy Advisor to Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and taught law classes at several institutions. At the age of 29 Maya became the both dean and Chief Executive Officer of Lincoln Law School.
• What role she plays: Maya Harris is Kamala Harris' younger sister, born two years after the Democratic nominee. She is also one of the final speakers on night 4 of the Democratic National Convention.
• Key quote: "Kamala knows what it's like to be underestimated and be counted out. She knows what it's like to be the underdog, and yet still beat the odds, and now she has created so much electricity, so much optimism, so much joy throughout the nation. And it is why we need her leadership in this historic moment."

When and where is the DNC

The Democratic National Convention will take place from August 19-22 in Chicago, Illinois.

The United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks, will be the main venue for the DNC.

Chicago has hosted the Democratic Convention 11 times, most recently in 1996 when the United Center saw President Bill Clinton was nominated for a second time.

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How to watch and stream the 2024 DNC

The convention will air live on its website , from the United Center in Chicago between 6:15 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern (5:15 p.m. to 10 p.m Central) on Monday, and 7 p.m to 11 p.m. Eastern (6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Central) the other days.

USA TODAY will provide livestream coverage on YouTube each night of the DNC, Monday through Thursday.

What are the themes for each night of the DNC?

The DNC announced nightly themes for the convention. The title of the convention is "For the People, For Our Future."

Here are the themes for each night:

• Monday: "For the People"
• Tuesday: "A Bold Vision for America's Future"
• Wednesday: "A Fight for our Freedoms"
• Thursday: "For our Future"

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kamala Harris sister Maya explains how their late mother defined her leadership potential