40,000 People On A Zoom Call: How $1.5 Million Was Raised For Kamala Harris

More than 44,000 people, led by black women, logged onto a Zoom call to support US Vice President Kamala Harris and raised more than $1.5 million for her campaign in three hours as she aims for the Oval Office in the west wing of the White House, the Washington Post reported. The presidential bid could make Ms Harris the first woman president of the United States. 

Ms Harris today expressed her gratitude for the "overwhelming support" and reaffirmed her commitment to the Democratic presidential nomination, just two days after President Joe Biden, who was seeking re-election, announced his decision to step aside. "When I announced my campaign for President, I said I intended to go out and earn this nomination. Tonight, I am proud to have secured the broad support needed to become our party's nominee, and as a daughter of California, I am proud that my home state's delegation helped put our campaign over the top. I look forward to formally accepting the nomination soon," she said in a statement.

Jotaka Eaddy, founder of 'Win With Black Women', which describes itself as a collective of intergenerational, intersectional Black women leaders, said, "Anybody that does not think that Black and Brown women are the backbone of this party (Democratic), they don't know us." 

Black women are a key Democratic voting bloc. The call, which attracted several celebrities and political figures, was conducted off the record, with participants speaking in their personal capacities. Attendees described it as feeling like church or a family reunion.

Ms Eaddy has been organising such calls since August 2020. Her organisation aims to elect Black women nationwide and speaks out against racism and sexism. During the 2020 election, the most attendees she had on one Zoom call was 1,500 people but Sunday's call saw more than 40,000 attending. 

But the large volume of people posed its own challenges for Zoom. The video communications platform has a 1,000-person capacity. When that limit was reached, members of Ms Eaddy's organisation contacted Zoom which upgraded the group to a webinar format, allowing unlimited attendees. "I am forever grateful to the leadership of Zoom for what they did," Ms Eaddy said.

"What happened last night was historic," Ms Eaddy added. "It really is the culmination of so many Black women for years and years and years that have been working, cultivating and creating for this moment. And last night was also a homage, a work to them and their sacrifice."

Notable speakers included Bernice King, the youngest child of Martin Luther King Jr and 85-year-old Democratic Senator Maxine Waters, the most senior Black woman in the US House.