Hillary Clinton urged supporters "not to give up" and to "remain engaged in progressive politics" at a charity gala in Washington D.C. Wednesday night.
Her appearance, which aides say was planned long before last week's stunning loss, marked Clinton's first public remarks since conceding the election to President-elect Donald Trump.
Clinton said appearing in public wasn't the easiest thing for her.
"There were a few times this week that I wanted to curl up with a good book or dogs and never get back up again," the former presidential nominee said.
Nevertheless, she attempted to inspire her audience and emphasized a line of Martin Luther King Jr. that is oft quoted by President Barack Obama throughout her speech: "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."
During the rest of her speech, she emphasized bipartisanship, advocacy, volunteerism and investing in the children of the United States — no matter their race, religion or immigration status.
"America is worth it. Our children are worth it," she said. "Believe in our country, fight for our values and never, ever give up."
The event itself was rather fitting for the occasion. Clinton was honored by the Children's Defense Fund for "a lifetime of service."
The idea of service was integral to the speech.
"Service is the rent we pay for living," Clinton told the crowd. "You don't get to stop paying rent just because things didn't go your way."
Clinton mentioned her time at the organization, but said there was still work to do ? citing the more than 31 million children still living at or near the poverty line.
She was introduced by Marian Wright Edelman, a longtime friend and mentor who founded the Children's Defense Fund in 1973.
"I am so proud of her in so many ways," Wright Edelman said, before noting that Clinton is leading in the popular vote. "So we're going to say she's the people's president."
Clinton discussed how influential Edelman was in her life, considering Edelman's important work during the Civil Rights era, before discussing their work together from the 1970s to present day.
In some ways, the charity gala felt like a standard election season event: Clinton staffers littered the auditorium, members of her press corps reassembled and the campaign videographer filmed the entire event.
After the brief trip to Washington, Clinton was set to return to New York. She has no further public events on her immediate calendar.
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