John,
On Saturday, we emailed you asking you to urge celebrities like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift to use their tremendous influence to mobilize and turn out voters in support of the presidential campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz. With only a few days until the Democratic National Convention, where Harris will officially accept the Democratic nomination, we need celebrities to lend their endorsement NOW!
Will you join the more than 27,000 MoveOn members who have signed the petition?
Over the past week, speculation about whether Swift is going to endorse Harris has spread rapidly. And organically, a group called Swifities4Kamala has tapped into the Swift fandom, quickly gaining 180,000 followers and mobilizing thousands on its kickoff call.1 But Swift herself—who endorsed President Joe Biden back in 2020—has not yet come out in support of Harris.
And while Beyoncé has given her support to the Harris campaign by allowing them to use her iconic song "Freedom," the artist—one of the most powerful performers in the world—has also not yet officially endorsed Harris.2 (Meanwhile, artists like Céline Dion and the estate of Isaac Hayes have called on Donald Trump to stop using their music at their rallies.)3
More than 15,000 members of the media are going to be at the convention next week.4 Prominent celebrity endorsements from Swift and Beyoncé could capture the attention of the press and show the energy and excitement for Harris ahead of this historic moment.
–Aliya, Soraya, Cheryl, Jensine, and the rest of the team
P.S. See our email from Saturday below for more context about why Beyoncé, Swift, and other celebrities are so influential for this election.
Sources:
1. "Getting back together: Swifties mobilize to support Kamala Harris," The Guardian, August 12, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/195803?t=10&akid=401667%2E40999114%2EngZ92v
2. "Beyoncé gives Kamala Harris 'Freedom' song for campaign," USA Today, August 6, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/195804?t=12&akid=401667%2E40999114%2EngZ92v
3. "Celine Dion and Estate of Isaac Hayes Denounce Trump's Use of Their Songs," Pitchfork, August 12, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/195805?t=14&akid=401667%2E40999114%2EngZ92v
4. "DNC schedule: When Kamala Harris, Tim Walz and more will speak," The Independent, August 14, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/195792?t=16&akid=401667%2E40999114%2EngZ92v
Sign the petition to urge Beyoncé and Taylor Swift: Endorse Kamala Harris for president!
Dear MoveOn member,
Following Vice President Kamala Harris's presidential campaign announcement, there has been a groundswell of political and grassroots support. But the reality is that we have to build the diverse voting bloc we need to defeat Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans at the polls. We need every eligible voter to turn out to vote for our democracy and freedom this election. And to do that, we need major celebrities like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift to use their massive platforms, influence, and following to make a difference this year.
Beyoncé and Swift are two of the most influential entertainers in the world, with a collective 595 MILLION followers on Instagram alone. Their voices hold immense weight and power.
And we're not asking them to do something they have never done before. Both Beyoncé and Taylor endorsed and supported Biden and Harris in 2020, with Swift endorsing at the beginning of October and Beyoncé endorsing the night before the election.5,6 They both knew what was at stake then, and there is so much still at stake now: our bodily autonomy, our freedoms, our education, and our democracy.
This election, 41 million Gen Zers will be eligible to vote, including 8 million new voters.7 Not only that, but 3.5 million adults of voting age have been naturalized in the U.S. since the last presidential election.8 That's a significant number of people who can be mobilized to vote in this election.
It doesn’t stop with Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. By coming out in support of Harris, they can inspire other touring musicians this summer and fall—including Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, Kacey Musgraves, Billie Eilish, and Cyndi Lauper—to use their stage to encourage millions of fans to protect our democracy and vote for Harris.
This election is about two futures—one where Harris takes us forward and one where Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans take us backward. The stakes could not be higher. We need to energize voters to promote reproductive and bodily autonomy, advance workers' rights and protections, tackle student loan debt, protect public schools, pass commonsense gun regulations, and make our democracy work for all of us. And in order to do that, we need everyone to do their part.
During Harris's rally in Atlanta, Georgia, rappers Quavo and Megan Thee Stallion, who collectively have more than 104 million followers, showed up to support and perform. They not only helped energize the more than 10,000 attendees—her largest rally yet—but sparked widespread media coverage that has shaped the narrative of Harris's campaign impact.9 We need other performers to follow suit and help carry that energy through to November.
In the last presidential election, voters turned out in record numbers, with nearly 66% of the population casting a ballot.10 We accomplished that in part with relational organizing. So whether it's talking to your friends and neighbors or audiences and fans, we need each and every one of us to use the platforms we have so we can break records again and make history this fall.
Thanks for all you do.
–Aliya, Soraya, Cheryl, Jensine, and the rest of the team
Sources:
5. "Taylor Swift endorses Joe Biden for President," NBC News, October 7, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/195613?t=24&akid=401667%2E40999114%2EngZ92v
6. "Beyoncé Encourages Fans To Vote As She Touts Biden In Last-Minute Instagram Endorsement," Forbes, November 2, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/195614?t=26&akid=401667%2E40999114%2EngZ92v
7. "41 Million Members of Gen Z Will Be Eligible to Vote in 2024," Tufts University, October 18, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/186350?t=28&akid=401667%2E40999114%2EngZ92v
8. "It's not just young voters. New citizens will head to the polls this year, too," NPR, May 31, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/195615?t=30&akid=401667%2E40999114%2EngZ92v
9. "Atlanta Turns Out for Kamala Harris," The Cut, July 31, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/195616?t=32&akid=401667%2E40999114%2EngZ92v
10. "Voter turnout, 2018-2022," Pew Research Center, July 12, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/195617?t=34&akid=401667%2E40999114%2EngZ92v
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