Brandon Drenon
Reporting from the convention

Hillary Clinton just mentioned Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman to be elected into US Congress before later running for president.

Chisholm's name has been mentioned a few times since Harris was nominated, pointing to Chisholm as the trailblazer who paved the way.

"She ran for president and her determination let me and millions of others dream bigger," Clinton says.

The former First Lady then mentions her failed presidential bid in 2016, where she won the popular vote but ultimately lost to Donald Trump.

It was the "honour of my life to accept our party's nomination", she says, casting a look on today and the future where she says there are "no ceilings on our dreams".

"The future is here."

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from the convention

Image source, Reuters

The audience here in the arena oozed with enthusiasm when Clinton walked on stage, delaying her speech as she soaked in the applause.

"There's a lot of energy in this room, just like there is across the country."

"Something is happening in America. You can feel it," she says.

"Something we've worked for and dreamed of for a long time."

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the convention floor

Image source, Getty Images

Among the loudest applause of the night have just been given for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who just took the stage.

"Hillary! Hillary" the crowd around me began chanting, repeatedly drowning out the sound of her thanks to the crowd.

As Kamala Harris did earlier, Clinton began by saluting President Biden.

"He brought dignity, decency and competence back to the White House," she says. "Thank you Joe Biden for your lifetime of service and leadership."

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from the convention

Kamala Harris understands the middle class "because she is from the middle class", Ocasio-Cortez says.

"Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar" she adds, to which the crowd burst into applause.

Their loud enthusiastic cheers continued as she spoke, making it hard to hear in the media area.

Outside of Harris's brief on-stage appearance, Ocasio-Cortez has so far elicited the most excitement from the crowd.

Caitlin Wilson
Reporting from the convention

Image source, Caitlin Wilson / BBC

Rising Democratic Party star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also known as AOC, has just taken the stage.

Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive Democratic lawmaker who is part of the so-called "Squad", was initially hesitant to support the idea of President Joe Biden stepping aside as presidential nominee.

But she seems to have most past those concerns now, telling the crowd that whoever you are as an American, "Kamala is for you".

Courtney Subramanian
Reporting from the convention

United Auto Workers union president Shawn Fain delivered his full-throated support for Kamala Harris, drawing a sharp contrast between the vice-president and Donald Trump.

“Kamala Harris is one of us. She’s a fighter for the working class. And Donald Trump — he’s a scab.”

Chants of "Trump's a scab" break out in arena crowd.

Harris clinched the union's endorsement late last month. Though the group had previously endorsed President Joe Biden, Harris campaign aides hoped the key backing will help her win over the support of blue collar voters in the battleground state of Michigan.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the convention floor

Image source, Bernd Debusmann Jr / BBC

I'm currently standing near the New York delegation, where Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was just mobbed by enthusiastic supporters.

When he saw my BBC lanyard, he stopped to chat. We've met a few times in the halls of Capitol Hill.

"How are you feeling Senator?," I asked. "I'm feeling great! We're going to win this," he says. "We've got energy and we're going to keep it going."

With that, his security team pushes him forward toward the stage.

The latest poll from the BBC's US partner CBS, external shows that although Kamala Harris seems to have most voters' support nationally, Donald Trump still gets a lot of credit on issues like the economy.

The CBS/YouGov poll - which was published Sunday and whose data was gathered 14-16 August - suggests that 56 percent of likely voters who are most concerned about the economy support Trump, with only 43 percent of them supporting Harris.

Among likely voters who are most concerned about inflation, the numbers are even more divided: 61 percent say they support Trump and 38 percent say they are for Harris.

Moreover, 83 percent of respondents say the economy is a major factor in their voting decision and 76 percent say the same about inflation.

Trump also leads among voters who say they are concerned about the situation at the US-Mexico border, while Harris wins among likely voters who care most about race and diversity, abortion and the state of democracy.

About 74 percent of likely voters in the survey say the state of democracy is a major factor in their voting decision.

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from the convention

Image source, Getty Images

Steve Kerr, a former Chicago Bulls player, has returned to the United Center where he once played alongside NBA great Michael Jordan.

Kerr tells the crowd that speaking about politics typically comes with "risks" for those outside that world.

But, he said it "was too important as an American citizen not to speak up".

"The reason I said yes to speaking here tonight is that as a coach, former player, husband, father, even a grandfather, and as an American, I believe in a certain kind of leadership."

"Leaders must display dignity," he says.

Kerr was the head coach of the US men's Olympic basketball team, which just won its fifth consecutive gold medal in Paris.

He finishes by saying they need to say "night night" to Trump, referencing Steph Curry's iconic "night night" celebration after he dominated France in the final quarter of the gold medal match.

Image source, Getty Images

Harris's unconventional convention appearancepublished at 02:18 British Summer Time 20 August

02:18 BST 20 August

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

If Harris’s appearance on the first day of the Democratic convention was in keeping with recent tradition, what happened next was not.

Harris spoke to the crowd.

Nominees typically save their remarks for the final day of the convention. But, perhaps because of the unusual nature of Harris path to the presidential nomination, Harris broke with tradition.

In her brief remarks, she thanked President Joe Biden for his “historic leadership” and “lifetime of service to our nation”.

Biden also endorsed Harris shortly after announcing that he was abandoning his presidential campaign – setting his vice-president on a glide path to the Democratic presidential nomination.

Now it’s on with the scheduled programming, which will culminate in Biden’s address to the hall later tonight.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the convention floor

Image source, Reuters

The DNC erupted in thunderous applause when the woman of the hour - Kamala Harris - stepped on stage.

But rather than speak of her campaign, Harris began by thanking Joe Biden for his "wonderful service to our nation".

"I see people from every corner of our country and every walk of life our here, united by our shared vision," she said.

"We will declare as one people, with one voice: we are moving forward," she adds - a message that clearly resonated with the crowd.

People are on their feet, chanting "when we fight, we win" and waving banners.

This is the moment many were waiting for.

"This is going to be a great week," Kamala Harris says to the crowd.

The Democratic presidential nominee then goes on to pay tribute to President Joe Biden.

"Joe, thank you for your historic leadership," she says. "We are forever grateful to you."

She finishes her surprise appearance by saying: "When we fight, we win".

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from the convention

Image source, Caitlin Wilson / BBC

Kamala Harris just walked on stage to Beyonce's Freedom track.

The basketball arena erupts into applause. It sounds like a rockstar just entered.

Harris about to make her first appearancepublished at 02:09 British Summer Time 20 August

02:09 BST 20 August

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent

We’re expecting Kamala Harris to appear inside the convention hall any minute now.

It’s become a bit of a tradition in political conventions – the nominee making a “surprise” appearance a few days before giving their formal acceptance speech.

Last month, Donald Trump had a triumphant reception at the Republican gathering, his first public appearance since the assassination attempt.

He sat in the convention’s VIP box each night, watching a speaking line-up that was dotted with members of his own family.

We’ll see how Harris handles her first moment in the convention spotlight.

Caitlin Wilson
Reporting from the convention

Image source, Kevin Ponniah / BBC

Democrats are spending all week celebrating Kamala Harris and Tim Walz - including the potential vice-presidential contenders who were passed over.

In the last hour, we've had sightings of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly shaking hands just outside the arena, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaking to reporters on the event's sidelines.

Image source, Caitlin Wilson / BBC

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the convention floor

Image source, Bernd Debusmann Jr / BBC

In interview after interview, several themes have emerged.

One of the most common, I'd say, is what many delegates have described as the difference in "tone" between the Harris and Trump campaigns.

Among them is Amin Ghoneim, a young man who proudly describes himself as Georgia's "only Arab delegate".

"Georgia is a lot about decency," he tells me. "Republicans down there get a lot of credit when they stand up to Trump. Decency goes a long way, and Harris has that. Walz too."

While Ghoneim describes himself as an enthusiastic supporter of Joe Biden, he acknowledges that the president's exit from the race has changed the way he sees the election.

"Frankly, a lot of the country has been activated. A lot of the Democratic base has come back into the fold for Harris," he adds. "It's noticeable. We're on a better track now."

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the convention floor

Down on the floor, delegates are watching a video about Project 2025.

Project 2025, which was written by the Heritage Foundation, has been described as a policy "wish list" for the next Republican president that would vastly expand presidential powers and impose an ultra-conservative social vision on the US.

Donald Trump, for his part, has disavowed the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 document, though many of its authors worked for his previous administration.

But Democrats - and the Harris campaign - are quick to tie the two together. In multiple conversations I've had at the convention today, Democrats have repeatedly claimed that they see Project 2025 as Trump's vision for America.

"You're going to hear a lot about what's in this 900-page document," State Senator Mallory McMorrow told me. "Whatever you think, it's so much worse."

"It plans to turn Donald Trump into a dictator," she says.

It's a message we're likely to hear repeatedly until the election, with Democrats clearly seeing it as a potentially winning message among centrist Americans and those in the margins - whom may ultimately decide the next election.

• You can read more about Project 2025 here.

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from the convention

Karen Bass, the first black female mayor of Los Angeles, entered the stage at the DNC to rapturous applause.

She is part of the rising tide of black female leadership within the Democratic Party.

She also shares California roots with Kamala Harris, a point that Bass highlights by her frequent use of "we" when referring to the Democratic presidential nominee.

"Now I know Kamala, and she feels the importance of this work," Bass says, referring to policy aimed at improving the lives of children.

"Kamala knows that each generation has an obligation to the next."

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the convention floor

Image source, Bernd Debusmann Jr / BBC

I've just spoken to Dan Ahlers, the Executive Director of the Democratic Party of South Dakota - another traditionally conservative state.

Even more than most people I've met here, Ahlers is excited about what he sees as the Harris-Walz campaign's momentum.

"Republicans have walked into our state party office to donate to Vice-President Harris," he says. "I don't remember ever seeing that."

Ahlers - who has held various positions in South Dakota's politics - said that many voters in his state are looking to Harris to address economic issues.

Perhaps more importantly, he said, many are hoping for a much different tone than was the case during the Trump administration.

"She's got a story as a minority person who went through struggles that are relatable to a lot of people in this country," he says.

Emma Vardy
Reporting from the convention

Image source, Emma Vardy / BBC

A music montage of Donald Trump receives loud boos from the arena, it’s a collection of Donald Trump zingers designed to fire up the crowd - but they need little reminding of who they’re fighting against.

A fact-checking video calls out Trump's “lies” and presents jobs statistics to counter his claims over the number of employment opportunities he created.

The problem for Democrats is that no matter what the figures say, polls indicate that on the economy, Trump continues to be more trusted by voters than Kamala Harris.

Many voters continue to believe that they "felt" better off under Trump.

The economy is one of the issues that Harris is now trying to present more detailed policies on as she sets out her agenda.