By Brittany Bailer
BET News hosted a primetime special conversation with Vice President Kamala Harris on the Howard University Campus. Filmed in Cramton Auditorium, the special “State of Our Union: Reproductive Rights aired on BET, BET Her, MTV2, VH1 and POP on Monday, November 7, 2022. The one-hour long moderated conversation was filmed in front of a live audience of students and community members and focused on the critical battle for women’s reproductive rights and healthcare access.
Since May, Vice President Harris has held nearly 40 convenings in more than 14 states to bring together leaders who are on the frontlines fighting to protect reproductive rights. She has convened 180+ state legislators from 18 states, as well as health care providers, constitutional law experts, faith leaders, state attorneys general, disability rights leaders, higher education leaders, students, and advocates. In addition, over the last several weeks, the Vice President has participated in moderated conversations on reproductive healthcare access in Connecticut, Texas, California, New Mexico, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania.
Joined by actress DeWanda Wise, Harris encouraged students to vote in in this year’s midterm election and to commit themselves to build coalitions around the issues that concern them. “Herein lies the opportunity to really dedicate ourselves to the coalition,” said Harris. “To bring folks together in coalition to stand together knowing that we all have so much more in common than what separates us and that it is incumbent on each of us to make sure nobody’s been made to fight alone.”
Harris closed the show by emphasizing the idea that this election cycle represents a challenge for the country to achieve to its stated ideals. As an example of democracy to other countries, the U.S. has a responsibility to uphold and progress human rights. “I think there could be no greater act of patriotism as an expression of the love for our country the to fight for our country to achieve its ideals. Ideals that were based on the principles of equality and freedom and liberty and justice.”
