ESSENCE Exclusive: Michelle Obama to Deliver Speech at 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago – Essence

ESSENCE has exclusively confirmed that former First Lady Michelle Obama will deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week, according to the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) and Mrs. Obama’s office.

The highly anticipated speech will place Mrs. Obama amongst a bunch of distinguished Democratic leaders who’re endorsing Vice President Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who’re soon to turn out to be the party’s official nominees in the 2024 election.

The announcement follows a viral video last month featuring Mrs. Obama, former President Barack Obama and Vice President Harris, in which the Obamas officially endorsed her for president. Since its release in July, the 55-second video clip, which captured a candid phone conversation between the Obamas and Harris, has garnered greater than 117 million views on their platforms.

During the conversation, Mrs. Obama expressed her unwavering support for Harris, emphasizing the vp’s leadership and the historic nature of her candidacy. “I’m proud of you. This is going to be historic. And that energy, I mean, has really changed the game in a fundamental way, and that’s because of you,” Mrs. Obama said. “We’ve got your back. We’ve got you and Doug. It’s going to be a fight. But, you know, I think the country is ready for something special, and I think that something special is you,” she added.

The former First Lady’s influence extends beyond her endorsement. She continues to lead “When We All Vote” a nonpartisan initiative aimed at increasing voter participation, particularly amongst underrepresented groups. As ESSENCE previously reported, this summer the organization launched the “Culture of Democracy Tour,” an initiative that has engaged hundreds of voters and volunteers through events across the country, including stops at the ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans, Roots Picnic in Philadelphia and the BET Awards in Los Angeles.

Nearly 1,000 volunteers have responded to Mrs. Obama’s call to motion by creating personalized voter registration portals to strengthen their communities. When We All Vote has also reached greater than 750,000 voters with key details about primary election dates, deadlines and more, according to the organization.

Michelle Obama’s upcoming Democratic convention speech is predicted to reinforce her message of civic engagement and underscore her ongoing commitment to voter mobilization, playing a key role in energizing the Democratic base and mobilizing voters across the country.