Harris attends events in Houston ahead of Sheila Jackson Lee funeral, where she will give eulogy

HOUSTON, Texas -- Vice president and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris returned to Houston Wednesday.

For the second time in a week, she addressed a large convention inside the George R. Brown Convention Center.

"In this moment, we face a choice between two very different visions for our nation," Harris told the members of the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, part of the Divine 9 of Black sororities and fraternities, a key constituency as Harris makes a run at the White House. "The American people deserve a leader who tells the truth, a leader who does not respond with hostility and anger when confronted with the facts."

Harris said that former President Donald Trump's false assertions about her race were the "same old show" as she emphasized the need for Black women to organize for his defeat this November. Harris told the crowd, "When I look out at everyone here, I see family."

She drew knowing chuckles from the audience as she mentioned Trump's comments earlier in the day at the annual meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists.

Harris responded briefly during her address to the sorority, saying Trump's display was "the same old show: the divisiveness and the disrespect."

She added: "And let me just say, the American people deserve better. The American people deserve better.

This was her second speech at the GRB in as many weeks after she addressed the nation's largest teachers union on July 25. As part of her summer series of engagements, Harris discussed freedom being under attack.

"The freedom to vote, the freedom to be safe from gun violence," she said, "the freedom to live without fear of bigotry and hate, the freedom to love who you love openly and with pride. The freedom to learn and acknowledge America's true and full history, and the freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body."

Harris arrived in Texas to a virtual greeting from Gov. Greg Abbott, who, on social media, criticized what he called her approach to the border crisis and immigration a failure. He blamed her for criminal undocumented immigrants entering the country.

As the presumptive presidential nominee for the Democrats in November, Harris faces a steep uphill battle in Texas. Nonetheless, she used her time not only to address potential supporters from across the country but also to raise $2.5 million at a fundraiser downtown.

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Harris will spend the night in Houston and will deliver the eulogy at the service for the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee on Thursday.

All of this comes amidst an intensifying presidential campaign since President Joe Biden withdrew and gave her his support 10 days ago.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.