Sen. Tim Scott closes out first night of RNC with inspiring speech: 'Our family went from cotton to Congress in one lifetime'

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott (R) gave a rousing and inspiring speech to close out the first night of the Republican National Convention and drew high praise from online viewers.

Scott gave his own life as an example of how America gives anyone an opportunity as long as they work hard.

"You may be asking yourself how does a poor black kid, from a single-parent household, run and win in a race crowded with Republicans against a Thurmond?" he said, referring to his electoral victory against the son of former powerful Sen. Strom Thurmond.

"Because of the evolution of the southern heart in an overwhelmingly white district, the voters judged me on the content of my character, not the color of my skin. We live in a world that only wants you to believe in the bad news. Racially, economically and culturally-polarizing news," Scott continued.

"The truth is, our nation's arc always bends back toward fairness," he added. "We are not fully where we want to be, but I thank God almighty we are not where we used to be! We are always striving to be better. When we stumble, and we will, we pick ourselves back up and try again."

An appeal to blacks

Scott also went headlong into the debate about which candidate would be better for African Americans.

"This election is about your future, and it's critical to paint a full picture of the records of Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Joe Biden said if a black man didn't vote for him, he wasn't truly black. Joe Biden said black people are a monolithic community. Joe Biden said poor kids can be just as smart as white kids," Scott said.

"And while his words are one thing, his actions take it to a whole new level," he continued.

"In 1994, Biden led the charge on a crime bill that put millions of black Americans behind bars. President Trump's criminal justice reform law fixed many of the disparities Biden created and made our system more fair and just for all Americans," said Scott, who went on to list more acts the president made to improve the lives of black Americans.

'From cotton to Congress'

Scott concluded with an inspiring anecdote from his personal life.

"My grandfather's 99th birthday would have been tomorrow. Growing up, he had to cross the street if a white person was coming. He suffered the indignity of being forced out of school as a third grader to pick cotton, and never learned to read or write," Scott said.

"Yet, he lived long enough to see his grandson become the first African American to be elected to both the United States House and the United States Senate," he added.

"Our family went from cotton to Congress in one lifetime. And that's why I believe the next American century can be better than the last," Scott said.

"There are millions of families just like mine all across this nation, full of potential seeking to live the American dream," Scott concluded. "And I'm here tonight to tell you that supporting the Republican ticket gives you the best chance of making that dream a reality."