Kamala Harris' October 25 rally in Houston was a spectacle worthy of the best produced concerts: Social media influencers streamed events from backstage and front rows, older political operatives hyped up the crowd, and Beyoncé Knowles, arguably the most famous woman on the planet, came out to endorse the Democratic nominee. That rally followed an Atlanta rally on July 30 featuring Vice President Harris and Megan Thee Stallion, and was followed by a November 1 rally for Harris in Milwaukee that featured performances by rapper Glorilla and a speech from Cardi B.
These events were the culmination of a presidential campaign that leaned heavily into celebrity cachet and Black women's identification with Kamala Harris as the living embodiment of a mantra that high achieving Black women have heard since first entering the workforce en masse in the wake of the Civil Rights victories of the late 60's and early 70's: "You have to be twice as good as them to get half as far."
Ironically, it was the hit TV show Scandal that introduced this phrase to the world. But the election of Donald Trump to the office of president of the United States for a second time showed just how little pop culture messaging resonates with the majority of American voters.
This election saw the Democratic Party deeply invest in the concept of "Black Girl Magic," the idea that even in the face of systemic adversity, Black women in America are capable of reaching and exceeding the expectations society imposes upon them when it comes to motherhood, education, entrepreneurship and a multitude of other areas. It's an idea that is very influential in celebrity culture and represented exclusively by Black women celebrities.
Kamala Harris was the political extension of the idea of Black Girl Magic. And in focusing so heavily on that selling point, the Democrats created for themselves blind spots that ignored and the aggressive pushback against Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) from the far Right, who connected Harris to those initiatives. The marketing move also failed to address the concerns of working-class men, of all races, and white women voters who ended up voting for Trump by a small margin.
In a way, these blind spots were a leftover of the era of President Barack Obama, who galvanized the youth vote and harnessed the energy of hip-hop and celebrity star power in his 2008 presidential run. That election represented a sort of validation for Black Americans and his cohort of young political communications professionals, who marketed Obama as the fulfillment of Dr. Martin Luther King's dream. It helped that the dream was embodied by a figure with the kind of charisma seen in bankable Hollywood actors. Of the nearly $1 billion raised by the Harris campaign, an estimated $30 million was spent on political, digital, and media consultants, celebrity endorsements, and influencer marketing to replicate the kind of excitement Obama's candidacy generated.
Some of the enthusiasm was natural; for many Black women voters, the candidacy of Kamala Harris was their Obama moment. The problem is, the 2024 electorate is much more segmented, media savvy, and aware of marketing than it was in 2008. Celebrity appeals don't mean much to youth voters raised on social media or to poor and working class voters living close to the margins. The economy is still the top issue for voters, and the Harris campaign seemed to be hyper-focused on chasing the cool factor by getting the candidate onto top podcasts, creating ads targeting audiences who watch reality dating shows, and recruiting social media influencers as official and unofficial surrogates.
As a result, the campaign got bogged down in trivial, social media-led discussions about "chucks and pearls," the proper way to cook collard greens, and what rappers were in Harris' playlist—at the expense of everything else. Kamala was sold as a celebrity, not a politician, and celebrities aren't taken seriously. Struggling people want solid policy, not viral moments.
Kamala Harris's election night loss is by no means a repudiation of the concept of Black Girl Magic. The progress that Black women have made in American society is undeniable, and Black women will continue to be a force in American politics. But to win an election, you need a message that appeals to the majority, and going forward, it will take more than niche marketing and motivational quotes to build sustainable political power.
Torraine Walker is a writer and digital media brand strategist based in Atlanta, GA.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
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