Tonight, presidential candidate Kamala Harris held a campaign rally in Houston, Texas, drawing out celebrities, including Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland. With just 11 days to go before Election Day, the rally took place in the critical swing state. The resounding theme of the night was freedom and women’s rights.
As the 30,000-strong crowd gathered at Shell Energy Stadium, a large screen projected messages like, “Vote for Reproductive Freedom” and “Trust Women.” Throughout the event, celebrities, political figures, doctors, and everyday Texans shared their personal stories, all endorsing Harris and her fight for reproductive rights.
Abortion Laws Impacting Black Women
One particularly emotional segment highlighted the story of Amber Thurman. The 28-year-old Georgia woman, tragically died in 2022 after waiting 20 hours for medical care due to restrictive abortion laws. Despite showing signs of a severe infection after taking abortion pills, doctors delayed performing a necessary procedure. They feared legal repercussions under the state’s abortion ban. Her death was later deemed preventable by a state committee.
Ondrea Cummings, a Black woman from San Antonio, shared her story. She nearly lost her life due to complications from a nonviable pregnancy. Cummings highlighted how Texas’ restrictive abortion laws disproportionately affect Black and brown women. She pointed to Donald Trump’s role in overturning Roe v. Wade as a key factor.
An Energetic Crowd
In between segments, DJ Tryfe kept the crowd energized, giving shoutouts to HBCUs and Harris’s Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. The crowd roared in approval when Representative Colin Allred mentioned his opponent, Ted Cruz, hiding in a supply closet during the January 6 Capitol riot. The audience quickly broke into a chant of, “You about to lose yo job!”
H-Town Natives Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland Deliver Speeches
In a lighthearted but poignant moment, Tina Knowles, fondly known as “Mama Tina” by Beyoncé’s fans, took the stage and joked about her many “Black jobs” before introducing Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland. The crowd buzzed with excitement, expecting a performance from Beyoncé. Instead, the audience was treated to two powerful speeches from Houston’s own.
Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland walked out to Destiny’s Child’s hit Independent Woman, igniting cheers. Rowland gave a passionate speech, declaring, “We are grabbing back the pen from those who are trying to write an American story of misogyny and racism… one that would deny women the right to make decisions about their own bodies.”
Beyoncé followed, stating, “I’m not here as a celebrity… I’m here as 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.” She called the campaign rally, “the brink of history.”
Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris Takes the Rally Stage
Finally, Vice President Kamala Harris made her entrance to Beyoncé’s song Freedom. A pro-Palestine group made their presence known but were quickly escorted off of the premises. Addressing the crowd, Harris assured them, “Momentum is on our side,” and spoke to the frustrations Texans feel in a red state. “You are making a difference,” she encourages. She also referenced the long, hard fight for freedom in America’s history, quoting from the Bible, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
Harris ended the night by making it clear that Texas remains a battleground for reproductive freedom. “We are 11 days out from an election that will decide the future of America, including the freedom of every woman to make decisions about her own body,” she said, closing her speech to thunderous applause from the energized crowd.
