Posted Wednesday, May 2, 2018 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Stacey Abrams, seeking to be the first black female U.S. governor ever, brought some TV star firepower to an early voting bus canvas tour earlier this week.
After hitting locations in Albany, Macon and Columbus, Abrams' bus rolled into the parking lot at the Gathering Spot at about 7:15 p.m. Monday with actresses Tracee Ellis Ross (ABC's "black-ish"), Uzo Aduba (Netflix's "Orange is the New Black"), Rashida Jones (TBS's "Angie Tribeca") and Aisha Hinds (Harriet Tubman in WGN's "Underground").
Ross enjoyed hearing Abrams speak and seeing the crowds at the various spots.
Jones too said she was "moved by hearing Stacey speak. She's a beautiful orator and she speaks from the heart. She has a ton of experience and she's compassionate and thoughtful. There is nice synergy because this race feels like it has representation on a larger scale. We've seen how people feel empowered to vote in Virginia and Alabama. I feel like Georgia is next to go."
Aduba likes how Abrams tries to represent all demographics in the state. "I think we are living in a time where listening has become challenging, particularly in politics," she said. "I think we talking about a woman who is invested in the idea of listening to everyone who comes to the table."
Hinds said Abrams has a great track record and experience, exulting her for her education plan and how thoughtful she is about mental health and the military. "She looks people in the eye and asks how she could be of service," she said. "She's an incredibly relatable person and governs from her heart."
Abrams is proud of bringing some Hollywood heft to her campaign: "Georgia is a national state... we spend a lot of money bringing Hollywood to Georgia. More than that, Georgia is emblematic of what America should be and will be. That is why I'm excited to have voices from across this country. While every one of them is certainly known in Hollywood, they each come with their own activist spirit and with work that they've done to lift the community. That's why I'm so thrilled to have them with me because what they reflect are the values of Georgia. Standing up for people, speaking out and doing what needs to be done to make change. I'm excited have a campaign that is local grounded but nationally known because we have to change all of Georgia to move forward."
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
