Stevie Wonder discussed his early friendship with presidential candidate Kamala Harris and endorsed her as the next president in a 90-second political ad posted Friday.
“I was excited about Kamala years before people knew who she was,” Wonders say in the black-and-white clip. “I’m very happy for the future. I’m very happy because I know and believe that she will be the next president of these United States.”
Stevie Wonder is a longtime friend of mine.
I thank him for being a part of our fight for the future.
Join us at https://t.co/MKvOQGgN2t. pic.twitter.com/caCuvbTXro
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 11, 2024
Harris shared the clip on X. The video is structured as a conversation between Wonder and director Spike Lee as Wonder shares what he thinks of the presidential candidate. “Not to make you guys feel bad, but it takes a woman,” Wonders quips, praising Harris’ humility and compassion. “But not just any woman, a wonderful woman. And she has done the work consistently.”
As a staunch advocate for nationwide peace, Wonder announced the Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart tour last month, titled after his Aug. 30 single of the same name. The single, his first in the last four years, is a tender plea for unity, as Wonder sings, “Don’t have no time for hatred and negativity/It’s you and me, we hold the key/So tell me please, can we fix our nation’s broken heart?” The 10-date, pre-Election day trek began Oct. 8 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and will visit other battleground states through Oct. 30.
On Oct. 10, Wonder played Madison Square Garden and brought messages of unity to the sold-out show: “I believe that America is great only because we of all various ethnicities, everyone has made it so.” And then he was ready to sing. “I’m not here to preach,” he said. “I’m only here to teach what the spirit is telling me.”
Back in August, Wonder also spoke and performed at the Democratic National Convention, encouraging the audience to “choose courage over complacency” followed by his 1973 track “Higher Ground.”
Harris is also a longtime friend and fan of Wonder’s music. In 2019, Harris called Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life her favorite album of all time, and the following year she honored Wonder with a birthday post that called him a “living legend and longtime hero of mine.”
Wonder previously endorsed Biden for president in 2020, and sang his soulful rendition of “Happy Birthday” to the then Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016.