Former first lady Michelle Obama appears at a When We All Vote Rally at Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia, on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)
Former first lady Michelle Obama and celebrities from music, film and television urged young Georgians to exercise their right to vote on Tuesday night.
Obama was the keynote speaker at the Gateway Center Arena’s When We All Vote Rally, as she joined entertainers and voting rights activists to mobilize first-time voters ahead of the crucial Nov. 5 presidential elections in Georgia. Several thousand people attended the College Park rally Tuesday, hosted by the national and nonpartisan When We All Vote organization, which Obama founded in 2018.
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The event was billed as an opportunity to rally first-time voters, students and local groups before early voting ends on Friday. Georgia is one of seven battleground states this election.
“I’m astounded by how much coaxing and pleading it takes to get people to recognize how their vote is fundamentally connected to their own self interest,” Obama said. “Because that’s really what your vote is: It is your chance to tell folks what you want.”
Attendees at a When We All Vote Rally at Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia, on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)
Her message Tuesday might have stuck to nonpartisan language, but the former first lady is clearly supporting her longtime friend and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Here in America the primary road to building real power or dismantling someone else’s runs straight through the ballot office,” Obama said.
A When We All Vote Rally at Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia, on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)
Obama’s visit comes on the heels of former President Donald Trump hosting a rally Monday on the campus of Georgia Tech, where Trump launched attacks at a number of familiar targets, including immigrants, and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is overseeing his criminal trial; former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; his former 2016 rival Hillary Clinton and the media.
In his speech Monday, Trump also attacked Obama, calling her “nasty” for questioning his mental stability.
Former President Barack Obama visited Georgia recently for a campaign rally that the Harris campaign said was one of its largest. Barack Obama encouraged Georgians to support the Democratic ticket of Harris and vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz over Trump and his running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance.
Actress Kerry Washington speaks at a When We All Vote Rally at Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia, on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)
Kerry Washington, an Emmy-winning actress and producer, spoke Tuesday about systemic efforts in Georgia to suppress voting rights. She also referenced a recent failed attempt by the Georgia State Election Board to require the hand counting of ballots on election night, which could be weaponized by people claiming election fraud.
“What these folks have been doing for the past several decades is nothing short of historic,” Washington said. “For years, listen to me carefully, folks have done everything to try to stop you from voting.”
Former first lady Michelle Obama at a When We All Vote Rally at Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia, on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)
Michelle Obama urged the rally crowd to encourage their friends and family to vote as she underscored the importance of community involvement in the fight for voting rights.
“It is possible to be disheartened by what’s happening and still choose to do everything in your power to make it better, to speak out, to organize, to donate and yes, vote for the person you believe is the best candidate for your goals,” she said.
This story was provided by WABE content partner the Georgia Recorder.
