Night 3 of the Democratic National Convention is underway

Sen. Kamala Harris kicks off the third day of the Democratic National Convention. Democratic National Committee

The third night of the Democratic National Convention has begun. Kamala Harris will take her turn in the spotlight tonight, where she will portray her story as the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants as one that can resonate with all Americans as she makes the case for electing Joe Biden.

She will say that she and Biden are committed to "a vision of our nation as a beloved community — where all are welcome, no matter what we look like, where we come from, or who we love." And one where Americans may not "agree on every detail" but are "united by the fundamental belief that every human being is of infinite worth, deserving of compassion, dignity and respect," according to excerpted remarks released ahead of her speech.

Harris will formally become the first Black and South Asian woman ever nominated to a major presidential party ticket.

Three generations of women — Harris' sister Maya Harris, her niece Meena, and her stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff — will deliver speeches virtually officially nominating the California senator as the Democratic nominee for vice president of the United States.

Harris will be joined on the program by some of the nation's most prominent women, including Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who, like Harris, competed against Biden for the 2020 nomination.

Former President Barack Obama will also make the case for his former vice president in what will be a sharp rebuke of Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the presidency in general.

Ahead of Sen. Kamala Harris' speech this evening, friend Stacey Johnson-Batiste spoke to CNN's Dana Bash about what tonight's historic moment means to her friend of more than 50 years.

"It means so much, and by this being the 100th anniversary of the women's right to vote, it's so symbolic. I mean, it just seams like, you know, the stars have lined up and everything Kamala has worked so hard for, all these decades has gotten her ready," she said.

Harris will formally become the first Black and South Asian woman ever nominated to a major presidential party ticket when she formally accepts the nomination tonight.

Johnson-Batiste added that Harris' career has prepared her to debate current Vice President Mike Pence in October.

"Kamala is fierce, and she's a fighter. And the one thing that she will not do is let, you know, let someone get away with not telling it like it, is telling the truth to the people. She won't let those types of comments to get past her," Harris' friend said. "She's going to hold him accountable, and she is going to stick to the facts, she's going to stick to the issue, she's going to educate."

Watch:

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sen. Kamala Harris. Getty Images

At least two of tonight’s top Democratic speakers will make nods to Joe Biden’s late son Beau, who passed away from cancer in 2015.

A source familiar with Sen. Kamala Harris’ speech says Harris will talk about Beau Biden and how she got to know the former vice president through her relationship with Beau as the two became friends while serving as state attorneys general at the same time.

Hillary Clinton is also expected to talk how the former vice president dealt with the loss of his son in 2015. It’s just one of the many references during this convention to Biden’s resilience in the face of loss and the empathy he exhibits. 

Clinton will also shine some light on Harris’ humanity. Clinton and Harris both worked with a young Democratic spokesperson named Tyrone Gayle who died of cancer two years ago.

Clinton will talk about how Harris flew to be with Gayle shortly before he died as she highlights the compassion of Joe Biden’s running mate — a trait this Democratic ticket is trying to present as a contrast to President Trump.

It is not lost on Hillary Clinton that she has a unique understanding of the myriad of challenges that Kamala Harris now confronts as a woman running against Donald Trump.

The former Democratic presidential nominee plans to specifically address this in her speech tonight, according to a pointed line from it that was first shared with CNN: “I also know a thing or two about the slings and arrows coming her way,” Clinton will say about Harris. “And believe me, this former district attorney and attorney general can handle them all.” 

Clinton is, of course, no stranger to public speaking, but tonight’s speech is one that she is taking very seriously – she sees this as a moment of “passing on the baton” from Obama and herself to Harris, according to a Clinton aide. Wanting to make sure she lands the speech, CNN was told she practiced her remarks over Zoom with aides this afternoon from her office in her attic in Chappaqua. 

One last piece of color: Clinton plans on talking about her mother – and reference the fact that strong mothers were big influences for both Harris and Joe Biden, as well, according to the aide.

Sen. Kamala Harris listens to former Vice President Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware, on Aug. 12. Carolyn Kaster/AP

According to a convention planning official, Sen. Kamala Harris will open the show tonight and give brief remarks, and then will return later on in the programming to deliver her full remarks.

The official said there is incredible excitement around Harris joining the ticket, and they want the people to hear from her as much as possible.

Former President Barack Obama is still editing his convention speech at this hour, putting the finishing touches on the most confrontational and blistering address he has given against President Trump.

A person close to Obama tells me that he has spent the last few weeks thinking and conceiving of what he wants to say tonight, but most of the writing happened after the eulogy he delivered for John Lewis.

In those remarks, he did not mention Trump by name. Tonight, he will — and he will not hold back, a person close to Obama said, as he decided this moment was urgent enough to break with protocol in going after a sitting president.

He will deliver his remarks without audience or fanfare from the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. The choice was designed to underscore how “our very democracy is at a stake,” a Democratic official tells me.

One other major change tonight — that CNN has learned Obama suggested himself.

Initially, the convention originally had Obama speaking after the running mate tonight. But once Kamala Harris was selected, Obama suggested switching the order so he could speak first, followed by her.

“It felt like an opportunity to symbolically pass the torch, give her her moment and spotlight,” a person close to Obama said.

CNN has learned that since being chosen as Joe Biden’s running mate, Kamala Harris has personally spoken with several of the other VP candidates, including some of the finalists:

All of these women have publicly supported Biden’s decision to choose Harris, and we’ve seen some of them speak at this week’s convention.

And as Harris makes history tonight as the first woman of color to be nominated as VP, it is not a coincidence that this evening will also feature several other high-profile Democratic women who will speak in support of her. We expect that gender will be one of the themes tonight.

In a mark of the historic nature of her candidacy, Harris will be officially nominated by three women close to her: Her sister, niece, stepdaughter. But as a reminder of how unusual this convention is, all three women will be speaking virtually.

Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Former President Obama, and Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Getty Images

The third night of the Democratic National Convention is tonight, and it will take place from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET.

The two history-making figures who are linked together by Joe Biden are set to headline Wednesday's lineup. Sen. Kamala Harris will accept the Democratic vice presidential nomination, and former President Barack Obama will make remarks.

Here are some key things to watch for tonight:

Read more about the nights' events here.

Night three of the Democratic National Convention will feature Joe Biden’s former 2020 rival, Sen. Elizabeth Warren. 

Warren and Biden have stayed in touch since Warren dropped out of the race in March and the former vice president has publicly endorsed and touted some of Warren’s policy ideas.

A source familiar with Warren’s remarks tonight tells CNN she will be speaking live from a pre-K and kindergarten facility in Springfield, Massachusetts, the Springfield Early Childhood Education Center. The Education Center is run by the city and was forced to close in March because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is in front of this backdrop that Warren will discuss what she sees as the “failed federal response to the pandemic” and the Biden-Harris ticket’s economic vision, the source told CNN. 

It’s also worth noting that universal childcare was one of the key pillars of Warren’s presidential campaign and a plan she spoke about with frequency.