The widespread use of Zoom software to organize large-scale videoconferences in support of the Democratic candidate has been one of the more surprising aspects of the 2024 US presidential campaign. Some have brought together nearly 200,000 participants and raised millions of dollars in donations. "Jewish women for Kamala," "Christians for Kamala," "Nurses for Kamala Harris": This week alone, at least a dozen videoconferences have been organized, aiming to raise funds and spur action.
On Monday, August 12, the "Young people for Kamala Harris" Zoom call, at the initiative of several Democratic activist organizations, aimed at encouraging young people to get actively involved in the campaign. On the screen, around 20 young faces appeared: these were the "panelists" – those who would be speaking during the course of this meeting, lasting almost an hour and a half. They were members of Democratic associations, activists for abortion rights, gun control, the LGBT+ cause and politics professionals too.
Their role: galvanizing the troops. "We might be young, but we're not stupid," said Texan Olivia Julianna, a reproductive rights activist with a large social media following. "We know that what's at stake is abortion rights, it's the Supreme Court, it's the economy. We're not just the next generation of voters. We're the next generation of leaders, teachers, doctors, lawyers, computer scientists, and we're going to make this country work, for everyone."
During the call, comedian and actress Beanie Feldstein recounted how, in 2020, she began campaigning by phone for the Democrats. "Phones are intimidating, but they're incredible tools. Even now, I'm blushing over this Zoom, because I don't like public speaking," she confided, in a bid to impart confidence to members of Gen Z attending the event, and get them to whip out their smartphones in turn.
At the same time, on the chat window associated with the videoconference, a link was being shared to a list of steps for getting involved in the campaign. "Forty-five people have signed up since this meeting began" said Zoom activist and host Haley Lickstein half an hour after the meeting started. "It's a good start, but it's not enough." Five minutes later, the figure rose to 85, eventually passing the 100 mark, out of 250 people connected that evening.
It was a small event compared to some others. The Zoom craze in support of Harris emerged just after Joe Biden's withdrawal from the race for the White House, on July 21. That same evening, the "Win With Black Women" group was meeting, as it has every week since 2020, on Zoom, accustomed to hosting between 150 and 200 people. But on this particular day, more than 44,000 people logged on and donated more than $1.5 million to the campaign of Harris – who had not yet been officially nominated.
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