At the earliest Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential election and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday, July 21. blackish Broadway star and veteran Jennifer Lewis did what she does best: put her emotions into a performance. Lewis sat at the piano and sang an original song for her 1.4 million Instagram followers to celebrate the news.
“This is an unprecedented day,” she began. “And let me tell you what Auntie wants to say. I have something I want to shout out. My dream team is Kamala and Michelle! Ring the bell, ring the bell! Kamala and Michelle, if you don’t want this country to go to hell!”
She is known as the “Black Mother of Hollywood” (which is even the title of her 2017 memoir) because of the dozens of maternal roles she has played over the decades in films like What's Love Got To Do With It And Poetic justice And TV shows like Friends And The Fresh Prince of Bel-AirLewis has long been a supporter of Democratic causes and candidates. But her support for President Biden’s re-election bid was anything but euphoric; before that day, her videos had focused more on getting people to vote than on the candidate himself. With Harris in the lead, she seemed energized.
Hours later, Lewis was one of 44,000 people who joined a Zoom fundraiser hosted by #WinWithBlackWomen, a group founded in 2020 to promote black women’s representation in politics and government. The event raised $1.5 million for Harris’s campaign. “It was one of the most exciting moments of my life,” Lewis, 67, said through tears. Sharing a digital space with tens of thousands of black women from all walks of life, hearing teachers, social workers, lawyers, members of Congress and so many others speak on behalf of Harris, “was a dream come true.”
“I’m an activist before I’m an actress now,” says Lewis, who has since posted additional videos encouraging voters to vote, featuring other celebrities on her Instagram account. “I’m a leading voice for freedom to uphold the Constitution, to make sure these kids have rights so they can live the American dream… These are not dark times, these are times of awakening, and I will rally and unite Americans who still believe in democracy.”
It didn’t take long for entertainment industry stars to publicly express their enthusiasm for Harris — a notable shift from the muted celebrity support President Biden had received up until that point. But prominent Black women in particular have thrown their considerable star power behind Harris. Beyoncé gave the Harris campaign permission to use her 2016 song “Freedom” in the vice president’s first campaign ad, and Megan Thee Stallion performed at Harris’s rally in Atlanta on July 30.
“As a black woman, it is imperative that I [Harris] “He sees that support, because we don't often get that in a lot of our roles, whether it's your typical nine-to-five job or running for president,” Robin Thede, creator and co-star of the HBO series Black lady drawingTells rolling stone“Women need support, and black women in particular need support. [would be] “Her entry into the White House was a historic event for her. It felt like Obama was coming back, ten times over.”
While Thede believes Democrats would have supported Biden no matter what, she says it’s hard to ignore the immediate enthusiasm people showed for Harris when the president finalized his nomination. “With Kamala Harris, it feels like there are some people who might change their mind about who to vote for, because she’s exciting and progressive,” she says.
Yvette Nicole Brown, known for her role as Shirley Bennett on the NBC series CommunityTells rolling stone She wasn't happy with the way Democrats “attacked” Biden in an attempt to get him out of the race. However, replacing him with Harris on the ticket was ultimately the best move.
“I’m not going to sit here and act like I’m not completely excited that this woman is living this moment, and it wouldn’t have happened if President Biden hadn’t stepped down,” Brown says. “I think this is the right thing to do. We need a new, energetic voice in our party. The old guard is changing. We’re getting new voices and faces, and they’re diverse and wonderful in so many different ways. That’s very exciting, because I think it’s time for young people to make these decisions.”
As Vivica A. Fox says, Biden’s decision will cement his status as an ally who not only played a role in helping elect the first black president in Barack Obama but also paved the way for Harris to make history. “She’s passed the torch to probably the first African-American female president,” Fox says. “Man, she’s going to be a star if she wins.”
Love, Left and Fox
Amanda Edwards/Getty Images; Omasu Bode/Getty Images
Now, for these activists and cultural leaders, it’s all about putting their money—and time, energy, presence, and influence—where their mouths are. Brown plans to attend the Democratic National Convention in Chicago later this month with the Creative Alliance, a nonprofit made up of entertainment industry members that advocates for the arts; she wants to be there when Harris secures the nomination. Fox, who is currently filming a project, says the election is all anyone can talk about on set—and through those conversations, she’s inspired some people to learn more about Harris’s candidacy.
“My beautician was bringing me in, and my assistant said, ‘Are you registered to vote?’ And she said, ‘Well, since I don’t know much about politics, I don’t think it’s fair that I vote.’ So we said, ‘Honey, let’s get you some information because not voting means voting for Trump,’” Fox explains. “And that’s what the other party is counting on, that people don’t care. So every time I can get the word out to someone who might not be politically active, I try to do that.”
“We have a long tradition, especially in the black community, from Muhammad Ali to Sidney Poitier to Oprah and beyond, of black people using their fame to effect radical change, from voting rights to breaking barriers for women to now electing the first black female president,” Thede says.
Oscar-nominated actress Danielle Brooks says, rolling stone She was hesitant to speak publicly about politics because she was afraid of “saying the wrong thing or feeling like she didn’t know enough.” But she took the time to educate herself and became more confident in the belief that using her voice could lead to change.
“The power of Hollywood is that people can listen to what we have to say,” Brooks says. “We can’t stay silent, because that might give permission for those who value our opinions to do the same.”
“No one can afford this boring, stressful election season,” she adds. “As boring and stressful as it can be to follow the news, it’s important that everyone pays attention to the facts, watches these debates, forms their own opinions, and votes. If people are too lazy to do this work, where are they going to get their information? Artists. Influencers. Hollywood.”
Courtney A. Kemp, creator of the cable giant Starz powerShe doesn’t hesitate to use her platform when it comes to talking about elections, social issues, and politics, even if her views aren’t always popular. “Hollywood can be as much vilified as it can be praised,” she says. “Not all of my followers agree with me all the time, but that’s okay. Sometimes you have to take the heat. If you’re not paying attention, you need to understand that some of the basic freedoms and basic things you think about this country are all up for criticism.”
Kemp posted a message of support for Harris on her Instagram account in solidarity with the Black Showrunner Collective. The group, which came together during last year’s dual writers’ and actors’ strike, immediately shared their thoughts in a group chat after Harris announced her candidacy. Felicia Henderson, Netflix executive producer Kill the firstThe statement, which was posted on social media, was drafted by filmmaker Reggie Rock-Bythewood, one of the organizers of the Black Showrunner Collective, and the group has plans to work with Harris’ campaign in the coming months.
Comedian and former co-host of Real On the other hand, Loni Love says she's focused on dispelling misinformation about Harris, “because you'd be surprised how many people don't know what's being said or what's being done.”
That need was made all the more vital on August 1 when Donald Trump gave an interview at the National Association of Black Journalists’ national convention and questioned Harris’ racial identity. “I didn’t know she was black until a few years ago when she came out as black and now she wants to be known as black,” the former president said in a baseless and senseless attack. “So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she black?”
Director and screenwriter Gina Prince-Bythewood, who joined her husband Reggie Rock-Bythewood and her friend Kemp in the Black Showrunner Collective, says she didn't think Trump should have been invited to NABJ, but ultimately hopes his comments will convince those who were on the fence not to vote for Trump in November.
“I don’t know where to begin with how offended it was for a white man to question a black woman’s blackness,” said Prince-Bythewood, who directed the film. love and basketball, The Secret Life of BeesAnd Queen womanTells rolling stone“The fact that he calls her DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion] “The candidate is wrong but he doesn’t think it’s wrong. He doesn’t think a black woman or a black man is more qualified than he is. He’s not going to let that seep into his consciousness. That’s how deep his racism is. But hopefully there are others who will finally see that and recognize his racism and his sexism.”
While Black women in Hollywood have been vocal about Harris’s campaign since its inception, other kinship groups have rallied around her as well. In the past two weeks, there have been identity-based Zoom meetings and online campaigns organized by and for Black men, white women, Black gay men, South Asian women, “white dudes,” Swifties, Deadheads, and more—a trend that Love says will continue.
“It started with black women, but that was just a spark. You’ll see other groups come together and show their support for Vice President Harris,” Love says. “We realize we can’t do that.” [alone]“But if we didn’t support it first, do you think people would care? Someone had to start this.”
Identity, of course, isn’t the primary reason many black women in Hollywood are supporting the vice president. Fox, for example, says she’s voting for Harris to secure a better future for her godchildren—to ensure that young women have reproductive rights and access to proper health care, and that young men are protected from police brutality. But the historical implications of electing the first black woman president of the United States are still significant.
Brooks agrees with Harris's positions on the issues and believes she is the best candidate for the job. She says that “seeing the impossible happen because of a black woman” will be the “ultimate motivation.”
“I am raising a four-year-old black girl, and her second president is going to be a black woman,” she says. “What seeds are you going to plant in her dream garden?”
Others feel such a sense of urgency right now that they can't stop and imagine the emotional impact a black woman president might have.
“I know what I’m supposed to say is, ‘Her election is going to be so important to me,’ especially as a black woman,” Kemp says. “But right now I’m thinking about survival. I’m not really thinking about how great or grand that is because this moment is more about fighting for the soul of the country. I don’t think that’s optional. I don’t think that’s celebratory. I think that her election is so important, it’s mandatory, because otherwise, I just don’t know what this country is going to be like.”
