For the first time since Hillary Clinton, the United States could have its first female president! While many people sit and wait for November, some groups are standing up and taking the opportunity to help Vice President Kamala Harris cross the finish line. These endorsement campaigns, started by the organization Win With Black Women have solicited the support of Swifties for Kamala. Both organizations are endorsing Kamala by showcasing their organizational skills, participating in national zoom calls, inspiring others to get involved, and fundraising thousands if not millions of dollars for her campaign.

Earlier this year, Joe Biden shocked democrats and republicans alike by dropping out of the presidential race and endorsing Kamala Harris for president. After a tumultuous few weeks of uncertainty, Kamala began her campaign, and support piled on. Black women soon began fundraising in support of the possibility of the nation’s first Black female president. These efforts were not in vain: $1.5 million for the Harris campaign has already been fundraised by this organization. Similar organizations have shown support for Harris, as many devise political plans against former President Donald Trump. Harris advocated for women’s rights in the past and has gained more female support than the other candidate. In recent surveys she leads Trump 54% to 41% among women. In opposition, the Republican candidate has not made any policy plans to improve women’s healthcare or abortion rights. During Trump’s presidency, he supported and contributed to the overturn of Roe v. Wade, restriction of abortion drugs, and plans on limiting access to birth control. Representing a majority in the United States, women’s votes could make or break this election. Who better to rally support than one of the most popular women in the world, Taylor Swift?

On September 10th, after witnessing the first presidential debate of Trump vs. Harris, Taylor Swift announced her plans to endorse Kamala Harris. She also urged people to vote (regardless of their party) as she has in past election years. Despite previous contentions, and the hate circulating around Taylor Swift, she has managed to stay top of the charts, part of this being due to her great music (proud Swiftie here!) but also her vast fan base. This goes to represent how powerful a community the Swifties truly are. Taylor has fought for women’s rights in the past and Swifties say they “know what their values are.” Without any real communication with the Harris campaign, Swifties have managed to raise over $165,000 in support of the Democratic nominee. This entails creating social media accounts, videos, and newsletters, all while organizing on a larger scale and fundraising online and in person, as if they operate as an official political aid.
Although “Swifties for Kamala” has been successful, it would not have been possible without the leadership of Irene Kim, Emerald Medraw, April Pulito, and Annie Henry. On August 27th, I attended a Zoom meeting that welcomed the general public and Swifties alike to talk about what the movement means to them and how they can help support Kamala Harris’ campaign. Among the guests was the Massachusetts senator, Elizabeth Warren, and many other representatives from their respective states. Each guest was asked what their favorite Taylor Swift song was–Warren’s was “Karma.” Warren declared that we need to “stand up for what is right” and welcome the “era of the first woman president.” Another notable guest was singer-songwriter, Carol King, who is a good friend of Taylor and greatly admires Kamala. Her favorite song was “Shake it Off.” During the meeting, they asked for volunteers and showed off their friendship bracelets. Some issues addressed in the meeting included climate action in terms of democracy, reproductive freedom, resilience, power, and community. The greatest of those phrases being “Joy is a strategy” and “Turning Swiftie power into political power.” To stay on theme, the meeting was filled with Taylor Swift references (as expected). One stuck out to me and was repeated by Ed Markey, another Democratic senator from Massachusetts– “I never trust a narcissist”– from Taylor’s song “I Did Something Bad.” This was a remark directed towards Trump and his narcissistic qualities.

Near the end of the meeting, the leadership ended with a merchandise drop that includes hats, stickers, shirts, and bags. You can find the merch here. They concluded with a reminder to check voter registration and vote for the Democratic nominee in November as well as the positive message to keep organizing and fight for your personal beliefs.

Let me drop my own reminder to those who can vote this year: Please register. Regardless if you’re a Swiftie or not, every vote counts, and I invite you “to live for the hope of it all.”