Beyonce supports Kamala Harris at Houston rally

Alejandra Arredondo |

Houston (USA), October 25 (EFE). Singer Beyoncé lent her support to the candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris this Friday and asked Americans to vote for the Democrat to change the fate of the country.

During a speech in Houston – the artist’s hometown – and less than two weeks before the election, Beyoncé portrayed Harris as someone who would strengthen the promise of “freedom” imprinted in the idea of ​​the American nation.

He said in a poetic intervention, “Generations of our ancestors are uttering a prophecy (…) It is time for the United States to sing a new song, a song of unity, dignity and opportunity.”

Tribute to African American culture

Before embracing the vice president, Beyoncé linked Harris’ candidacy to the fight for women’s rights in America: “Imagine all the sacrifices we had to make so we could see the strength of a woman”.

The stadium, with a capacity of more than 20,000 people, was packed. Attendees were given an electronic bracelet that lit up with the colors of the American flag and there were lights on the stands and grass.

There were people of all ages in the crowd: families with small children, young university students, retirees. The night was filled with dancing and laughter, especially honoring African-American culture, which has its roots in Houston where more than 20% of the population is black.

Harris has already made history by becoming the first black woman to be selected as the presidential candidate for one of the country’s two main parties and if she is elected, her government will mark a milestone.

Harris criticizes “hypocrisy” regarding abortion

The rally focused on the consequences of the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down abortion protections on a national level.

Harris stressed her promise to restore access to the procedure nationwide if she becomes president and criticized the “hypocrisy” of conservative politicians who celebrated the Supreme Court decision striking down abortion protections in 2021.

At the forum, women and families directly affected by abortion restrictions in different parts of the country spoke, including Ondrea, a woman who nearly lost her life after delivering a premature baby who died shortly after birth. Died after “5 minutes”.

The Vice President said, “For every story we hear, there are thousands of stories of women who have not been heard (…) who are suffering in silence and who have been abandoned and made to feel like criminals “

Beyoncé’s support for the Democratic Party

The relationship between Beyoncé and the Democratic Party is not new. The singer supported the 2016 candidacy of Hillary Clinton, the first woman to be the presidential nominee for one of the two main US parties and who led a historic run against Trump.

The artist, winner of 32 Grammy Awards, was also close to the administration of former President Barack Obama (2009–2017): she sang at both inauguration ceremonies of the Democrat, the first African-American president in the country’s history.

In turn, in 2012, shortly before the Democrat’s re-election, he published a handwritten letter on his social networks celebrating his leadership: You “are the reason why my daughter and my nephew will grow up knowing that they actually I can be anything.” want.”

Regarding Beyoncé’s relationship with Kamala Harris, the artist authorized the use of the song ‘Freedom’ (Libertad in Spanish) for the Vice Presidential campaign in late July and since then, it has become a kind of anthem of her candidacy. Is.

Freedom

‘Freedom’ is part of the album ‘Lemonade’, a visual album that broke new ground due to its combination of audiovisual narrative styles when released in 2016, with songs exploring autobiographical themes.

In ‘Lemonade’, Beyoncé exposes her trauma to the world after going through infidelity in her marriage with Jay-Z and explores her identity as an African-American, delving into the culture of the Southern United States. And condemned the double discrimination. She has to face black women in the country.

In the song’s video, Beyoncé pays tribute to the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement against police violence against the African-American population, giving place to the mothers of several youths killed by police officers.

The lyrics, which allude to the song ‘Wade in the Water’, an ode to the resistance of enslaved people in America, talk about freedom and, specifically, what that word means to African American people. .

Freedom, of course, is the central theme of Harris’s campaign; The Vice President has described his political commitment as defending American “liberties” that the right wing wants to “take away.”

Democratic Senate candidate for Texas Colin Allred also attended the event, as well as country icon Willie Nelson and Beyoncé’s own mother Tina Knowles.