Kamala Harris celebrates 60th birthday, grooves to singer Stevie Wonder’s tunes

US Vice President Kamala Harris was treated to a ‘Happy Birthday ‘rendition by legendary singer Stevie Wonder as the Democratic presidential nominee marked her 60th birthday on the campaign trail with a visit to two Black churches in Georgia to woo voters ahead of the November 5 election.
Wonder, a 25-time Grammy winner, sang a few lines of Bob Marley’s ‘Redemption Song’. He then led the crowd of churchgoers in singing ‘Happy Birthday’, a song he originally wrote to commemorate the birthday of Black activist Martin Luther King Jr and campaign for the recognition of the birth anniversary as a national holiday, according to reports.
In a video posted by Harris, Wonder mesmerised the crowd with his singing, with the Vice President seen smiling, clapping and enjoying his ‘Happy Birthday’ rendition.
This is not the first time that Wonder performed for Harris. He had earlier made a surprise appearance at the Democratic National Convention in August, where he endorsed his support for Harris and performed his 1973 hit ‘Higher Ground’.
Harris visited Georgia, one of the battleground states, where early voting began as part of her campaign efforts to mobilise Black voters, a crucial vote bank. The day began with Harris attending a Sunday service at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest. The congregation at the church welcomed her warmly and during the service, they surprised her with a heartfelt rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’.
Harris then headed to the Divine Faith Ministries International in Jonesboro, where she was joined by Wonder, who had been invited to support the campaign’s ‘Souls to the Polls’ initiative. The initiative focused on encouraging Black voters to cast their ballots, particularly through outreach within religious communities.
During a campaign speech at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Harris made a reference to Trump, though she did not mention him by his name, drawing voters about her vision for America and the harsh rhetoric of the current political climate.
“At this point across our nation, what we do see are some trying to deepen division among us, spread hate, sow fear and cause chaos,” she told thousands of churchgoers who cheered her continuously.
She said some measured the strength of a leader as someone “who you beat down”, instead of being guided by “love and kindness” and urged people to vote for a “more compassionate future”.
The Vice President would be keen to put up a good showing in the majority non-white cities of Detroit and Atlanta and their surrounding suburbs to repeat President Joe Biden’s impressive victories in Michigan and Georgia.
As Harris was busy on her campaign trail, former President and her Republican opponent Donald Trump wished the Vice President on her 60th birthday at a campaign event in Pennsylvania, drawing boos from the crowd.
“Happy birthday, and many more, and I mean it,” Trump said in Lancaster even though he continued to attack her over her policies and views. The former President had earlier visited a McDonald’s outlet in the state to mock Kamala Harris for her statement that she had worked in the fast-food chain in her struggling days.
On the other hand, Biden wished his ‘friend’ Harris and described her as a “remarkable leader”. “Happy Birthday to my dear friend, partner, and a remarkable leader – Kamala Harris,” he wrote while sharing a photo with her on X.
Vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz extended his wishes to Harris and thanked her for bringing a brand of compassion, joy and decency in politics.
“Happy Birthday, @KamalaHarris! Thank you for bringing compassion, decency, and joy to our politics. I’m honoured to be in this fight with you, and I couldn’t be prouder to call you my friend,” he tweeted.
Former President Barack Obama, the first African-American to occupy the top post, said Harris spent her life fighting for people’s rights and called on those to elect her as the president.
“Happy birthday to my friend @KamalaHarris! She has spent her life fighting on behalf of people who need a voice and a chance—now it’s our turn to help elect her as our next president. Make sure you’re ready to vote at http://IWillVote.com,” Obama said while wishing her.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi too wished Harris and was all praise for her.
“Happy birthday, @VP Kamala Harris! Today, we celebrate your visionary leadership and historic achievements. As you govern with
@POTUS for the people, our nation is inspired by your unwavering fight to deliver a brighter future for all. Thank you for making us all so very proud!” she tweeted.