It finally happened. Beyoncé actually made it to a Kamala Harris event.
The superstar added her considerable stature to an already star-studded week for the Democratic presidential nominee, appearing alongside her fellow Destiny’s Child bandmate Kelly Rowland to introduce Harris before a packed crowd in Houston’s Shell Energy Stadium.
Both singers delivered stirring remarks, with moving tributes to the historic nature of Harris’ campaign and the long fight for justice and equality in America, and powerful calls for people to vote.
Watch their speeches below:
Rowland spoke first, celebrating “this remarkable, this joyous day, a date, a day, a time, a moment with weight and meaning for our country, for our people and for the world.”
“A moment, Houston, where we grab back the pen from those who are trying to write an American story of division and hatred,” she continued. “A moment when we grab back the pen from those who are trying to write an American story of misogyny and racism, we are grabbing back the pen from those who are trying to write an American story that would deny the right for Women to make our own decisions about our bodies.”
Rowland spoke of using the pen to “forge a new path with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. We are grabbing back the pen to write a new American story, a story of community, of equality, strength, of kindness and of hope. When I was a little girl and I pledged allegiance to the United States of America, that meant something to me. That flag meant something to me, and today that means grabbing that pen and casting my vote as I already did two days ago for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.”
Beyoncé spoke next, running with Rowland’s talk of “an American story” to speak of a “new American song.”
“We are so happy to be standing here on this stage as proud, country, Texas women supporting, celebrating the one and only vice president, Kamala Harris, a woman who’s been pushing for what this country really needs right now, unity,” she began.
“It’s impossible not to feel the energy in this room, the positivity, the community, the humanity,” the “Cowboy Carter” icon continued. “We are at the precipice of an incredible shift, the brink of history. I’m not here as a celebrity. I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother, 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, our past, our present, our future, merge to meet us here.”
“Imagine our daughters growing up, seeing what’s possible with no ceilings, no limitations,” she said. “Imagine our grandmothers. Imagine what they feel right now, those who have lived to see this historic day, even those who are no longer physically with us, imagine all of their sacrifice, the sacrifices made so we can witness the strength of a woman standing in her power. Reimagining what leadership is for all the men and women in this room, and watching around the country.”
“We need you,” she continued. “Your voice has power and magnitude. Your vote is one of the most valuable tools, and we need you. Your freedom is your God given right, your human right.”
The singer shouted out several Houston-area communities, then went on, “we all have a role to play to make this a reality. We’re all part of something much bigger. We must vote, and we need you.”
“It’s time to sing a new song, a song that began 248 years ago, the old notes of downfall, discord, despair no longer resonate. Our generations and loved ones before us are whispering a prophecy, a quest, a calling, an anthem. Our moment right now, 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? Because I am. So let’s do this, ladies and gentlemen, please give a big, loud, text, welcome to the next President of the United States,” she concluded.
