A Zoom event graced by 44,000 Black women backing Kamala Harris has reportedly raised $1.5 million. The event's organiser, Jotaka Eaddy, was described by Forbes as the "Olivia Pope of Silicon Valley."
On Sunday, organiser and strategist Eaddy, founder of the #WinWithBlackWomen network, hosted the Zoom call for Black women. According to Bloomberg, the event attracted 44,000 participants and raised over $1.5 million for Kamala Harris' newly launched presidential campaign.
Record-Breaking Fundraiser For Harris
Representative Maxine Waters of California, one of the highest-ranking Black women in Congress, also spoke at the event. Additionally, lawmakers Joyce Beatty and Jasmine Crockett spoke about their commitment to supporting Harris in the upcoming presidential election against Donald Trump this November.
Reverend Bernice King, daughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and CEO of The King Center, stated that although she has been voting since she was 18, she had never publicly endorsed a candidate until now.
"I'm 100% in her corner," King said on the call. "I'm going to be very strategic in the way that I move forward." Win With Black Women, the political advocacy group that organised the call, later reported raising $1.5 million for Harris' election campaign in three hours.
This contribution was part of a surge in donations, as Democrats collected over $50 million online on Sunday following President Joe Biden's announcement that he would not seek reelection. Trump's campaign could face new challenges after Biden stepped aside and began endorsing Harris.
Polls indicated that Black voters, who had strongly supported Biden in the 2020 election, were shifting away from the Democratic Party due to concerns about inflation, slow progress on civil rights, and the president's stance on Israel in the Gaza conflict.
Meanwhile, Trump has been sparing no effort to gain support from Black voters. For LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, Harris embodies exactly what the Democrats needed. Brown observed that while Biden failed to ignite voter enthusiasm, Harris changed that dynamic.
Brown committed to actively campaigning for Harris, emphasising that Harris is her preferred candidate. "We needed a shot in the arm, something to activate us," Brown said in an interview. "I'm now both excited and ignited."
The call also featured former Democratic National Committee chair Donna Brazile, Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, and Maryland's First Lady Dawn Moore. Additionally, Maryland Governor Wes Moore later released a statement endorsing Harris' candidacy.
Representative Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio, encouraged attendees to leverage their platforms to generate support for Harris within their communities. "We come with a strong message because we're in the fight, we're on this journey, we realise the magnitude of this moment," she said.
Social Media Reactions And Acknowledgments
According to #WinWithBlackWomen's Instagram update, donations exceeded $1.5 million in just three hours. Attendance reached a peak of 44,000 members, as reported in another Instagram post.
The overwhelming attendance for the call required organisers to request an extension of Zoom Video Communications Inc.'s capacity limit, which the company was able to accommodate. In a post on X, Eaddy expressed her gratitude to Zoom COO Aparna Bawa for helping "create the space for history."
A marketing manager who participated in the call noted on X that Bawa intervened to ensure the platform could accommodate tens of thousands of attendees. Representatives from Zoom had not yet responded to Business Insider's request for comment on Bawa's role in the event.
With President Joe Biden succumbing to pressure and stepping back from the 2024 race, Harris represents the Democrats' strongest chance to thwart Donald Trump's return.
