Kamala Harris likes to present herself as a "joyful warrior." Traveling from state to state on the presidential campaign trail, she speaks to audiences that are often massive and enthusiastic. But on Friday, September 20, her rapid visit north of Atlanta, Georgia, was imbued with a particular gravity. Even her favorite song, "Freedom," by Beyoncé, was not played. The Democratic nominee delivered a scathing, personal speech on abortion, a cause that has been a central theme of her vice presidency since June 2022 and the Supreme Court's decision abolishing this federal right.

In front of around 300 people gathered in an auditorium, Harris denounced the "arcane and immoral laws" passed in some 20 US states, banning or severely restricting the practice of abortion. "This is a health crisis, and Donald Trump is the architect of this crisis," she asserted.

For the Democratic candidate, abortion is a key issue for mobilizing women and young people, whose votes could prove decisive in pivotal states like Georgia. Polls there are within the margin of error.

But it's also the issue that Harris speaks about most deeply and forcefully. Her political strategy is not to allow herself to be trapped in a classic left-wing "pro-choice" discourse, but to approach the issue from a broader angle: that of rights under threat – by also talking about in vitro fertilization and contraception – and that of equal access to care.

That's how 19-year-old Zaina Malembo came to embrace this struggle. The daughter of Pentecostal pastors, Malembo is a member of the Young Democrats at Georgia State University, where she studies public policy. "For me, abortion is a delicate subject because I believe in Jesus Christ and the gift we have received, that of giving life. An abortion is a bit like inviting death into oneself. But I've been learning about reproductive justice, how it came about," said Malembo, who dreams of becoming a representative or senator. "It's about health. It's about making sure every woman gets what she needs, so she can get through pregnancy and its aftermath in the best possible way."

In a state like Georgia, where the maternal mortality rate is one of the highest in the country, this approach speaks to all women, especially the most disadvantaged and those from the African-American community. During her speech, Harris stood in front of two audiences made up almost entirely of women. "And these hypocrites want to start talking about how this is in the best interest of women and children," the candidate said of Republicans. "Well, where have you been? Where have you been when it comes to taking care of the women and children of America, where have you been? How dare they." Harris's emotion and the roar from the room were all the more sincere because this cause, in Georgia, has a face: that of a woman who died, Amber Nicole Thurman.

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