The remarks mark a turn of fortunes for Democrats who were confronted with a lack of voter enthusiasm and flagging poll numbers when President Biden was at the top of the ticket.
Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama will take the stage, along with second gentleman Doug Emhoff and others on Tuesday night.
Ashley Biden, the youngest child of President Biden, painted a more personal picture of her father, sharing stories of him as a parent and as a political figure.
Waters, 86, told the story of Fannie Lou Hamer, a Black activist from Mississippi who fought for a seat at the 1964 Democratic National Convention. She brought the moment full circle to Harris, who is the first Black woman to be nominated by a major party for president.
This was the congresswoman's first major convention speech, for which she was given a primetime slot. In 2020, Ocasio-Cortez addressed the DNC crowd with a pre-recorded minute-and-a-half-long endorsement for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Clinton, who lost to former President Donald Trump in 2016, walked onto stage to the song "Brave" by Sara Bareilles, and used her time at the podium to push for a message of unity and progress. She praised President Biden, calling him a "true patriot" and thanking him for his service before moving onto "a new chapter in America's story."
And a familiar face to Bulls fans of that era, NBA champion player and coach Steve Kerr, took the stage to “Sirius” by the Alan Parsons Project — not to drain 3-pointers, but to rally the crowd for Vice President Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
