Talk show host and producer Oprah Winfrey will host a virtual fundraiser for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Winfrey threw her support behind the Democratic presidential hopeful during a speech at the Democratic National Convention in August. Now she is set to co-host the “Unite for America” online event on Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. EST.
Win With Black Women and roughly 150 other groups will help host the event.
"This ‘Unite for America’ call will be a powerful moment that demonstrates the urgency that we all feel in this moment and more importantly the impact of our collective activation to move our nation forward with Vice President Kamala Harris as our 47th President,” said Win with Black Women founder Jotaka Eaddy in a press release. “I cannot think of anyone better to host this event than Oprah Winfrey, who has brought Americans of different generations, backgrounds, and experiences together in conversation for decades.”
Shannon Watts, organizer of White Women: Answer the Call and Show Up for Kamala Harris, was also enthusiastic about Winfrey’s participation.
“We understand the importance of showing up for progress that benefits all women,” said Watts. “There is no better person than Oprah Winfrey to lead this event and bring together so many diverse groups of people who are fiercely determined to uplift every community in our nation and elect Kamala Harris.”
Other representatives of participating groups stressed the importance of uniting voters across racial and ethnic lines.
"We couldn't be more excited to be participating in Unite for America,” said Ross Morales Rocketto, the lead organizer of White Dudes for Harris. “We stand on the shoulders of the incredible work of Win with Black Women and Win with Black Men. We exist to create space in the Democratic Party for white men to do their part to help elect Kamala Harris to become the 47th President of the United States."
“As the official AANHPI affinity group working with the Harris Walz campaign to mobilize the South Asian community nationwide, we know the importance of South Asian voters as a key voting bloc in many battleground states,” said Harini Krishnan of South Asians for Harris. “We are leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that South Asian voters are the margin of victory this cycle in electing Kamala Harris as our first Black and South Asian woman President.”
Winfrey, whose estimated net worth is $3 billion, became a household name during the 25-year run of her eponymously titled talk show. When the show ended in 2011, she launched the OWN cable channel.
The 70-year-old enthusiastically endorsed Harris, who she said represents “the best of America.”
“We are beyond ridiculous tweets and lies and foolery,” she said during her DNC speech, per CNBC. “When a house is on fire, we don’t ask about the homeowner’s race or religion. We don’t wonder who their partner is, or how they voted. No, we just try to do the best we can to save them.”
Winfrey later told CBS News that she decided to endorse Harris because “a lot of things are at stake.”
“The bottom line for me is that decency and respect are on the ballot. And that's why I was willing to do it,” she said. “And let me just tell you the big risk was when I don't have anything to lose. Now, I don't have a show. ... It's not what, what is it gonna cost me other than knowing that I had to do whatever I could to speak.”
Winfrey previously endorsed President Barack Obama in 2008, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016, and President Joe Biden in 2020.
