By Skyler Winston
Howard University News Service
Hollywood made its presence felt on the third night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention with a star-studded lineup featuring Oprah Winfrey, John Legend, Stevie Wonder, Kenan Thompson and many more, as Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz accepted the vice-presidential nomination.
Motown legend Stevie Wonder kicked off the star power with an electrifying performance. Backed by dancers, live guitars and his signature piano, Wonder energized the crowd. Before starting his set, he urged the audience to “choose courage over complacency.”
“Every song that I’ve sing [sic], every song that I’ve written is because of my love for you right here,” Wonder expressed before singing his 1973 hit “Higher Ground.”
“Saturday Night Live” comedian Kenan Thompson took the stage, bringing his trademark humor as he introduced a large book titled “Mandate for Leadership, Project 2025,” and video-chatted with people from various states. Project 2025 is a reported Republican agenda aimed to establish right-wing policies and dismantle the federal government.
In one video chat, a woman from Nevada shared with glee how the Biden-Harris administration had reduced her insulin prescription to $35.
In response, Thompson opened the Project 2025 book and explained what might happen to her prescription under the proposed policies.
“That’s great,” Thompson remarked, “but on page 465, Project 2025 calls for millions of people like yourself to pay more for prescription drugs, including insulin.”
“Why? Well, I suppose it’s to help Big Pharma make more money so they can donate to Republican politicians.”
His 11-minute segment also included the elimination of LGBTQ+ rights, a ban on abortion and the dissolution of the Department of Education.
Other celebrities also made impactful appearances. Actor Mindy Kaling served as the night’s host, while Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in the U.S., delivered a powerful new poem titled “The Sacred Scene.”
The night also featured speeches from prominent politicians, including former President Bill Clinton, U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
Oprah Winfrey, a Chicago native, made a surprise appearance and urged independent and undecided voters “to choose common sense over nonsense.”
“You’re looking at a registered Independent who’s proud to vote again and again and again, because I’m an American, and that’s what Americans do,” Winfrey said.
EGOT winner (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) John Legend was the last performance of the evening. He sang a rendition of Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy,” joined by Sheila E., which had the crowd cheering enthusiastically.
Yet, the loudest applause came just before Democratic vice-presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz joined the stage. Dressed in their old jerseys, his high school state championship football team from the late 1990s lined up with smiles to support their former coach.
“We want the people in charge to be genuine, to be compassionate and trustworthy.”
— Ben Ingman, track athlete coached by vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz
Former student Ben Ingman recalled Walz’s leadership as his track coach.
“We want the people in charge to be genuine, to be compassionate and trustworthy,” Ingman said. “The thing is, there are people in our neighborhoods who fit this description. The kind of people who display quiet leadership by helping kids pay for their lunches, by bringing teams together to believe in each other.”
“In my neighborhood, we always wished that people like that would run for office. In my neighborhood, someone like that did run for office and he’s going to be a wonderful vice president.”
Skyler Winston is the News & Politics editor at The Hilltop and a reporter for HUNewsService.com.
