In the past week or so, U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris has proven that she might very well have what it takes to challenge Donald Trump in November.
That is, if she is officially named the Democrat Party’s presidential candidate in the coming weeks.
She has found her share of support and raised $200 million since she emerged as the likely presidential nominee with a decent portion of that coming from white people.
A massive Zoom meeting, called “White Women For Kamala,” attracted more than 164,000 participants and was headlined by some of the VP’s more famous backers, including singer Pink and U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe.
But one of the guest speakers was influencer Arielle Fodor, who goes by the name Mrs. Frazzled on social media. She raised eyebrows after asking other white women to “bow down” to people of colour by supporting Harris.
“BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of colour) women have tapped us in as white women to step up, listen and get involved this election season,” she said.
“This is a really important time and we all need to use our voices and influence for the greater good.”
Fodor, whose videos on TikTok and Instagram centre on teaching and early childhood education, continued: “As white women, we need to use our privilege to make positive changes.
“If you find yourself talking over or speaking for BIPOD individuals or, God forbid, correcting them, just take a beat and instead we can put our listening ears on.
“So do learn from and amplify the voices of those who have been historically marginalized and use the privilege you have in order to push for systemic change. As white people, we have a lot to learn and unlearn. So do check your blind spots.”
Commentator Collin Rugg “had to triple check” to make sure Fodor’s video “wasn’t a parody,” which X owner Elon Musk called “next-level cringe.”
But “White Women For Kamala” wasn’t the only identity-based virtual calls being held for Harris.
On Monday night, “White Dudes for Harris” had nearly 200,000 attendees on their Zoom gathering and featured actors Mark Ruffalo, Jeff Bridges and Mark Hamill.
“What a variety of whiteness we have here,” West Wing star Bradley Whitford said.
“We got The Dude (Bridges, who starred in the cult classic film The Big Lebowski). We got (Transportation Secretary) Pete (Buttigieg). It’s like a rainbow of, uh, beige.”
The presumably predominantly white star-studded live video call raised about $4 million on Monday night for the vice-president.
It’s the latest in a series of video calls for Harris that have attracted large audiences and raised millions, sparked by one held by Black women the night U.S. President Joe Biden stepped aside from the race and endorsed her, according to Reuters.
Virtual meetings organized by activists and others have rallied support for Harris among minority groups including Hispanic women, Black men, Asian Americans and the LGBTQ+ community to reflect how Democrats have relied on voters from diverse backgrounds.
“We are organizing ourselves this time because we aren’t going to sit around and let the MAGA crowd bully other white guys into voting for a hateful and divisive ideology,” White Dudes for Harris founder Ross Morales Rocketto said in a statement to The Associated Press.
Team Harris doesn’t have anything to do with the Zoom calls, but her campaign had nothing but praise for them with Harris’ campaign communications director Michael Tyler stating, “Winning campaigns are powered by real, organic support.”