Beyoncé may not have shown up as the DNC‘s surprise guest last night, but the celebrity power was certainly on full display throughout the four-night event, with guest hosts like Tony Goldwyn, Mindy Kaling, and Kerry Washington introducing each night’s lineup of speakers and comedians such as Kenan Thompson and D.L. Hughley offering their services to bring some laughs to the raucous occasion. However, the real star of the convention was undoubtedly the Vice President herself, Kamala Harris. Hailing from California, she has strong ties to Hollywood and pulled out all the stops in utilizing those relationships to sell herself and her story to the American people, including having acclaimed filmmaker and friend Reginald Hudlin (“House Party,” “Boomerang”) put together a short documentary on her life and career.
As previously revealed by Harris’ husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff on X, formerly known as Twitter, Hudlin and his wife Chrisette were integral in setting the couple up.
Narrated by none other than God himself, Morgan Freeman, Hudlin’s video began with various clips of Harris set to Lizzo’s “About Damn Time.” As the song continued to play, Freeman narrated, “She’s a fighter for the American people, committed to our values — our hopes — our dreams — bringing joy back across our nation. Where did this strength and passion come from in this daughter of middle-class Oakland?”
As the tone of the short shifted from celebratory to reflective, Freeman guided us through Harris’ personal history, telling viewers of her immigrant parents, a South Asian scientist and a Jamaican economist, and how they inspired her to “pursue her dreams.” Freeman also spoke of her parents’ divorce and how Harris and her sister were raised by her mother, but also the people in their community. The emphasis in this section of the video drew on Harris’ roots in the middle class and how those beginnings pushed her to fight for things that mattered, especially the rights of others.
One particular event mentioned, that Harris speaks on herself in the video, is when she discovered one of her best high school friends was being molested by her father and insisted on her coming to live with her family. Her friend, Wanda Kagan, is featured in the video as well. Recalling the experience, she said, “As you get older, you really, really, reflect on how pivotal that intervention was at that crucial point of my life.”
This intervention was also pivotal in Harris choosing to become a prosecutor. As past news clips of Kamala serving as a District Attorney played, Freeman listed all she was able to accomplish in that time including putting criminals and predators behind bars, as well as creating programs to prevent recidivism amongst non-violent offenders. As Attorney General of California, Harris was also responsible for taking down transnational gangs, helping to take drugs and weapons off the streets. In addition, Freeman pointed out how during the 2010 financial crisis, she took on the nation’s five largest mortgage banks who were stealing from homeowners, delivering a landmark $20 billion settlement.
As the video shifts to Harris’ Senate career, Freeman reminded viewers of her stalwart presence on both the judicial and intelligence committees. The video highlights her prosecutions of Trump Attorney Generals Jeff Sessions and William Barr, as well as future Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. It was this presence in the Senate that gave Joe Biden the confidence to select Harris for the VP slot. In archival audio featured in this section of the short, Biden said, “I wanted someone who was strong and ready to be President on day one.”
Working on issues ranging from capping drug costs to creating 16 million jobs, Harris’ Vice Presidential record is presented by Freeman, as well as union workers. The video also highlights her record on preventing gun violence, strengthening international security and leadership, and leading the fight on protecting women’s health, including the right to abortions.
“I believe she is so prepared to be our next president,” said Second Gentleman Emhoff of his wife in a testimonial for the video. “This love she has for her family — being there for all of us — that’s how she will lead this country. Being there for everyone.”
Watch the full video below.
