Black Hollywood Joins the Campaign

By George Alexander ------ August 24, 2007--The race to the White House isn’t only heating up the Washington beltway but also the streets of Southern California from Santa Barbara to Beverly Hills. And it's the black entertainment community that's helping to fuel the machine. Oprah Winfrey is hosting a star-filled gala for Barack Obama at her Santa Barbara mansion on September 6, and right on Winfrey's heels is Ervin "Magic" Johnson. The former NBA star turned entrepreneur and his wife Cookie are welcoming Hillary Clinton supporters to their Beverly Hills mansion for a fund-raiser six days later on September 14. Hollywood is not new to the game of politics. But support from Black Hollywood is perhaps at its biggest level ever. With Obama in the race—arguably the most eligible black presidential candidate in the nation's history—along with Clinton with her enormous currency in the African American community, the quest to win influential black support is perhaps at an all-time high. Many consider Oprah's Obama event to be the hottest ticket of the entire campaign season. It sold-out in a flash and there's a waiting list of those still hopeful to attend. The gala will include a reception and a concert with an artist whose name remains a secret. Rumors say Beyonce and Jamie Foxx are possibilities. Young black celebs like Will Smith and Chris Rock are reportedly already signed up for the Obama soiree. Oprah organizers reportedly hope to raise between $2 million and $3 million at the event where they are asking the primary maximum of $2,300 per-individual contribution. SOURCE OF THIS STORY