It was not the speech Vice President Harris wanted to deliver at her alma mater, but it's the one she had to- of moving the country forward together, of unifying the country, and respecting the peaceful transfer of power.
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Harris walked out to a supportive, yet solemn crowd at Howard University as she addressed the nation.
"My heart is full today. Full of gratitude for the trust you placed in me," said Harris. "The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for," she continued.
In front of a crowd of thousands and to millions of her supporters watching at home, Harris called for unity and a peaceful transfer of power.
"Now I know people are experience a range of emotions right now. I get it. But we must accept the results of this election," she said.
VIDEO: Harris concedes presidential election but not 'the fight that fueled this campaign' | FULL SPEECH
Harris concedes presidential election but not 'the fight that fueled this campaign'
Earlier Wednesday, Vice President Harris called President-elect Trump to concede the election. The White House also confirmed to ABC News that President Biden called Trump to offer his support.
"While I concede this election, I do not concede this fight that fueled this campaign," said Harris to a round of applause.
Her husband, First Gentleman Doug Emhoff and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and his wife Gwen were in attendance.
The crowd of supporters moved from grief to glimmers of hope. Some waved American flags, others recorded a slice of history on their phone.
The Vice President closed her speech by challenging everyone listening to get to work.
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"So to everyone who is watching, do not despair - this is not a time to throw up our hands, this is a time to roll up our sleeves," she said.
That message resonated with the crowd of supporters, lifelong friends, and Howard University alumni.
"She ended with a call for us to also think about our everyday lives, in 'Truth and Service' which is the motto of Howard University. As an alumna, it really filled me with a sense of pride," said Jori Fortson.
For Chuck Collins, a longtime friend and supporter of Vice President Harris- it was a tough pillow to swallow.
"I had to wake up and think of the future of my grandchildren," he said. "It's emotionally hard for us to absorb the enormity of this loss, but we can't stop at our grief. We have to move through our grief into action."
As for what's next for next, Harris an email to the campaign staff provided to ABC News showed that Harris and her running mate Governor Walz hosted a call to speak directly to her staff to thank them for their hard work on this unprecedented 107-day run for the White House.