/ CBS/AP
Harris, Trump add star power to campaigns
Speculation that Beyoncé would make an appearance at the Democratic National Convention two months ago ran rampant for days leading up to the event.
The frenzy, however, didn’t happen.
On Friday, in front of an energized crowd in her hometown of Houston, Texas, the superstar singer appeared on stage to campaign at Vice President Kamala Harris’ rally on reproductive rights.
“I’m not here as a celebrity, I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother,” Beyoncé said. “A mother who cares deeply about the world my children and all of our children live in, a world where we have the freedom to control our bodies, a world where we’re not divided.”
“Imagine our daughters growing up seeing what’s possible with no ceilings, no limitations,” she continued. “We must vote, and we need you.”
At the end, Beyoncé — who was joined onstage by her Destiny’s Child bandmate Kelly Rowland — introduced Harris.
“It’s time for America to sing a new song. Our voices sing a chorus of unity. They sing a song of dignity and opportunity. Are y’all ready to add your voice to the new American song?” she said. “Ladies and gentlemen, please give a big, loud, Texas welcome to the next president of the United States, Vice President Kamala Harris.”
She did not perform — unlike in 2016, when she performed at a presidential campaign rally for Hilary Clinton in Cleveland.
Harris’ presidential campaign has taken on Beyonce’s 2016 track “Freedom,” a cut from her landmark 2016 album “Lemonade,” as its anthem.
Harris first used the song in July during her first official public appearance as a presidential candidate at her campaign headquarters in Delaware. That same month, Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, publicly endorsed Harris for president.
Beyoncé gave permission to Harris to use the song, a campaign official who was granted anonymity to discuss private campaign operations confirmed to The Associated Press.
Arriving in the back-half of “Lemonade,” “Freedom” samples two John and Alan Lomax field recordings, which document Jim Crow-era folk spirituals of Southern Black churches and the work songs of Black prisoners from 1959 and 1948, respectively. It also features Pulitzer Prize winner Kendrick Lamar.
The Harris rally in Houston highlighted the perilous medical fallout from the state’s strict abortion ban and put the blame squarely on former President Donald Trump.
“We know freedom is not to be given. It is not to be bestowed. It is ours by right, and we are prepared to fight for it,” Harris said. “We must be loud. We must organize. We must mobilize. We must energize.”
Since abortion was restricted in Texas, the state’s infant death rate has increased, more babies have died of birth defects and maternal mortality has risen.
Beyoncé was not the only big-name celebrity at Friday’s rally. Texas native and legendary singer-songwriter Willie Nelson performed and actress and entrepreneur Jessica Alba spoke earlier during the rally.
