In celebration across the country, the overwhelming reaction to the news that Joe Biden won the presidential election was met with cheers, honking horns and dancing in the streets. In an unprecedented response, people yelled from balconies, banged pots and pans, and gathered in the streets in celebration.
The morning began with a phone call from Kamala to Joe with a simple but emotional message, “We did it Joe! We did it! You’re going to be the next president of the United States.”
It was a good day for Biden supporters, with news that brought a sense of relief, hope, and overwhelming joy after several days of nervous anticipation for the outcome of the election. As the day unfolded and crowds quickly grew, social media exploded with comments and recordings of the spontaneous festivities.
By early evening Vice President-elect Kamala Harris appeared on stage in Wilmington Delaware, accepting her place in history as the first Black, first South Asian, and the highest-ranking woman ever to serve in government.
Speaking to several hundred supporters in the parking lot of the Chase Center she said, “While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last. Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.”
Harris praised her running mate, Joe Biden and before introducing him said, “You chose Joe Biden as the next president of the United States. And Joe is a healer, a uniter, a tested and steady hand. A person whose own experience of loss gives him a sense of purpose that will help us as a nation reclaim our own sense of purpose.”
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Biden walked out to Bruce Springsteen’s “We Take Care of Our Own” and expressed surprise at the celebrations taking place across the country.
“What I must admit has surprised me, tonight we’re seeing all over this nation, all cities in all parts of the country, indeed across the world, an outpouring of joy, of hope, of renewed faith in tomorrow, bring a better day. And I’m humbled by the trust and confidence you’ve placed in me,” Biden said.
He spoke of his promise to unify the country. “It’s the honor of my lifetime that so many millions of Americans have voted for that vision. And now, the work of making that vision is real, it’s a task — the task of our time.”
Spontaneous Celebrations in Chicago
At an afternoon news conference, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot offered her congratulations to Biden and Kamala Harris.
Festivities continued into the night as people gathered on the Michigan Ave bridge to watch an impromptu fireworks display.
The overall message of the day was to celebrate the victory today because tomorrow the real work begins.
