Harris attends Ga. church service, revs crowd at Atlanta rally

STONECREST, Ga. - Kamala Harris told the congregation of a large Black church in suburban Atlanta on Sunday that people must show comion and respect in their daily lives and do more than just “preach the values.”

The Democratic presidential nominee’s visit to New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest on her 60th birthday, marked by a song by the congregation, was part of a broad, nationwide campaign, known as “Souls to the Polls,” that encourages Black churchgoers to vote.

Pastor Jamal Bryant said the vice president was “an American hero, the voice of the future” and “our fearless leader.” He also used his sermon to welcome the idea of America electing a woman for the first time as president. “It takes a real man to a real woman,” Bryant said.

“When Black women roll up their sleeves, then society has got to change,” the pastor said.

Harris told the parable of the Good Samaritan from the Gospel of Luke, about a man who was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho and was attacked by robbers. The traveler was beaten and left bloodied, but helped by a stranger. All faiths promote the idea of loving thy neighbor, Harris said, but far harder to achieve is truly loving a stranger as if that person were a neighbor.

“In this moment, across our nation, what we do see are some who try to deepen division among us, spread hate, sow fear and cause chaos,” Harris told the congregation. “The true measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up.”

She was more somber than during her political rallies, stressing that real faith means defending humanity. She said the Samaritan parable reminds people that “it is not enough to preach the values of comion and respect. We must live them.”

Harris ended by saying, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning,” as attendees applauded her.

The vice president also had a midday stop at Divine Faith Ministries International in Jonesboro with singer Stevie Wonder, before taping an interview with the Rev. Al Sharpton that will air later Sunday on MSNBC.

The Georgia appearances on Sunday followed a rally Saturday night in Atlanta, where Harris said Donald Trump was “cruel” for how he talked about the grieving family of a Georgia mother who died after waiting 20 hours for a hospital to treat her complications from an abortion pill, as she put combating restrictions on reproductive care at the center of her pitch to voters.

Harris blamed Amber Thurman’s death on Georgia’s abortion restrictions that took effect after the Supreme Court in 2022, with three Trump-appointed justices, overturned Roe v. Wade. It comes as Harris is looking to the issue to propel to Democrats, who have pledged to restore a national right to abortion if they win the White House and enough seats in Congress.

“Donald Trump still refuses to take ability, to take any ability, for the pain and the suffering he has caused,” Harris said.

Thurman’s story features at the center of one of Harris’ closing campaign ads, and her family attended her Atlanta rally, with her mother holding a photo of her daughter from the audience. Harris showed a clip of Trump saying during a recent Fox News Channel town hall, when he was asked about the Thurman family ing a separate media call, “We’ll get better ratings, I promise.”

“A grieving family, a grieving family, sharing the memory of their daughter with our nation. Where is the comion?” she asked. “What we see continually from Donald Trump is exactly what that clip shows,” Harris added. “He belittles their sorrow, making it about himself and his television ratings. It is cruel.”

Early voting is also underway in Georgia. More than 1.2 million ballots have been cast, either in person or by mail. Democrats hope an expansive organizing effort will boost Harris against Trump in the campaign’s final weeks. Harris referenced that former President Jimmy Carter recently voted by mail days after his 100th birthday.

“If Jimmy Carter can vote early, you can too,” Harris said.

Roderick Williams, 56, brought his three daughters to Harris’ Atlanta rally. His youngest daughter was born around the time former President Barack Obama entered office, and he hopes they can witness history again by seeing Harris become the first Black woman to be president.

“It’s important for them to see that anything’s possible,” Williams said.

Harris was ed at the rally by hometown music icon Usher, drawing again on star power as she looks to excite voters to the polls.

Harris has been paying multiple visits to Georgia in recent weeks, including coming to Augusta in her role as vice president to see damage from Hurricane Helene.

Harris will make her first campaign appearances with Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, two of the most popular figures in the Democratic Party, at get-out-the-vote events this month in Georgia and Michigan.

It will be the former first lady’s first time hitting the trail for Harris.

Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, is set to appear with the former president in Georgia on Oct. 24 and with Mrs. Obama in Michigan on Oct. 26, according to a Harris campaign senior official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss events before they are officially announced.

The official did not disclose the cities where Harris will the Obamas.

The former president recently campaigned for Harris in Pittsburgh and has appearances scheduled Friday and Saturday in Arizona and Nevada, respectively, and next week in Wisconsin and Michigan.

Early voting opens statewide in Michigan on Oct. 26, and Harris and the former first lady will encourage ers to cast their ballots as soon as possible, the official said.

In Georgia, where early voting opened this past Tuesday, more than 310,000 people voted on the first day, a record.

The Obamas endorsed Harris in July and spoke at the Democratic National Convention in August in Chicago. They remain prodigious fundraising draws and popular surrogates at large campaign events for Democratic candidates.

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