American superstar Beyoncé took the stage last night at a rally in support of Kamala Harris in the city of Houston in the state of Texas, but not to sing, but to offer her support at a key moment for the candidate for the presidency of the Democratic Party, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA.
Beyoncé, who was born in Houston, took the stage to thunderous applause from about 30,000 people attending US Vice President Kamala Harris' rally for women's abortion rights. Instead of singing, she addressed the crowd for a few minutes.
"I'm not here as a celebrity. I am not here as a politician. I'm here like a mother," Beyoncé said. "Your freedom is your God-given right, your human right," the singer added.
Beyoncé then introduced Harris, who took the stage to the sound of the song "Freedom," which has become her campaign anthem. The singer gave the vice president of the USA a big hug before she went out to the audience.
Harris' summer lead over her Republican opponent Donald Trump in the race for the Nov. 5 election has all but melted away, national polls show, and is now within margin of error in swing states that likely to determine the winner of the election, her campaign staff claims.
But she has a significant lead over Trump among women, who most polls suggest make up a large portion of Beyoncé's audience. Harris led Trump 49% to 36%, or 13 points, among female voters in a Reuters/Ipsos poll released in late August.
"Beyoncé is one of the most powerful women in the entertainment industry at a historic moment when (politically and positionally) the most powerful woman in the United States is running for president,'' said the Pace University communications professor. ; Melvin L. Williams.
Williams noted that he wasn't sure whether Beyoncé's message would reach voters who have questions about Harris. "We have to admit that celebrities are great political advertising agents, but they are no guarantee of political victory for candidates,", he added.
The rally in Beyoncé's hometown ends a series of political appearances and politically-tinged artistic performances in the election campaign. In 2008, Beyoncé's husband, Jay-Z, organized a rally in support of Barack Obama, and in 2009, Beyoncé sang the national anthem at Obama's inauguration.
In 2016, she participated in a rally for Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton, and in 2020, she supported Joe Biden and Harris on "Instagram".
Beyoncé, whose "Instagram" has 314 million followers, offers Harris access to a segment of the US population, especially black and younger voters, which is considered key in the contested election race with Trump, Reuters notes.