Washington, Kerry

Subterms

    Latest story

    125 Shares121 Views

    Michelle Obama, Rallying Young Voters Near Atlanta, Warns of ‘Apathy’

    by

    Michelle Obama, the former first lady and among the Democrats’ most popular surrogates, offered a bracing tutorial in the realities of political power on Tuesday night, beseeching thousands of people near Atlanta to vote and to “stop the spiral of disillusionment and apathy.”“It’s natural to wonder if anyone hears you, if anyone sees you,” Mrs. Obama told her audience, many of them students from Atlanta’s historically Black colleges and universities, at an arena just south of downtown. “It is healthy to push your leaders to be better, even to question the whole system.”But, she added, “It’s our job to show folks that two things can be true at once: that it is possible to be outraged by the slow pace of progress and be committed to your own pursuit of that progress.”Mrs. Obama’s pleas and warnings came as Georgia entered the final days of its early voting period, a stretch in which one participation record after another has fallen. Already, more than 3 million people in the state have cast ballots, according to the secretary of state’s office.With the state among the most contested this election year — Joseph R. Biden Jr. beat Donald J. Trump in Georgia by less than 12,000 votes in 2020 — Georgia voters have faced an onslaught of pressure to pick one side or another.Mrs. Obama, addressing a rally that was formally nonpartisan and unaligned with any campaign, made a different ask: Vote.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    More stories

    • 150 Shares169 Views

      in Elections

      Kerry Washington, Who Played Olivia Pope on ‘Scandal,’ Hosts DNC Night 4

      by

      The star of the hit show “Scandal” is emcee for the final night’s program at the Democratic National Convention.When “Scandal” debuted on ABC in 2012, Kerry Washington became the first Black woman to play the leading role in a network drama in almost 40 years. The show was a hit, particularly with Black viewers. At one point, more than 10 percent of Black households tuned in weekly to see Ms. Washington play a hard-charging Washington lawyer.On Thursday, Ms. Washington — known to fans of the show as Olivia Pope — stepped into the real-life political spotlight as the fourth and final host of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.Tony Goldwyn, Ms. Washington’s “Scandal” co-star, was the first host. Ana Navarro, a Republican commentator, and the actress and comedian Mindy Kaling filled the role on the intervening days.On “Scandal,” Ms. Washington’s Olivia Pope character captivated audiences with her political acumen, striking intelligence and flawless professional style — crisp suits, elegant wraps, red-soled Louboutin heels.After the show went off the air in 2018, Ms. Washington increased her own political activity. She told The Hollywood Reporter last year that she was inspired in part by how the character shaped the audience’s feelings about politics and activism.“People wanted this imaginary character to fix their problems, and I felt like this was a moment of real disconnect because we’re living in a democracy; we’re the people who hold the power to unlock the change that’s most important, but we keep passing that power off to characters on television,” Ms. Washington said.Last year, she started a nonprofit, the KW Foundation, to support civic engagement. On several occasions, she has taken to social media to encourage her followers to register to vote, often with messages sure to grab the attention of “Scandal” fans. In one, she posted what she said was information about a “Scandal” movie. The link actually redirected to a voter registration website.Thursday marks the third time Ms. Washington has spoken at a political convention. In 2012, she delivered remarks at former President Barack Obama’s second nominating convention, and in 2020 she was one of several celebrities to emcee President Biden’s virtual convention.Ms. Washington has been an enthusiastic convention attendee this week, posing for photos with Mr. Goldwyn, Oprah Winfrey and various politicians including Representative Nancy Pelosi, Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland and former President Bill Clinton.Ms. Harris and Ms. Washington have met before, when Ms. Washington visited the White House last year. It’s not clear what they discussed, but in an apparent nod to her tenure as a (fictional) D.C. operative, Ms. Harris posted a photo to social media with the caption “Welcome back to the White House.” More