Beyoncé and Jay-Z Get on the Campaign Trail for Obama

Most people check their email expecting messages from family and work connections but people across the country were treated to a surprise when a very famous name popped up in their inboxes.

Beyoncé, who has recently become more open and communicative, sent out an email to campaign for President Obama’s reelection. The email’s subject line was “I don’t usually e-mail you” and in the message, the mother of one invited supporters to donate money to campaign for a chance to win a trip to meet Beyoncé, her husband Jay-Z  and President and First Lady Obama.

“Jay and I will be meeting up with President Obama for an evening in NYC sometime soon. And we want you to be there,” she said in the message. She asked potential donors contribute a $25 donation, up from the $3-$5 usually requested in campaign emails. The powerhouse couple will also host a fundraising event at Jay-Z’s 40/40 club that will cost patrons a pricey $40,000 a pop. The event will be held on September 18. “I’ve had the honor of meeting President Obama and the First Lady a few times — and believe me — it’s an opportunity you don’t want to miss,” the message continued.

This isn’t the first time Beyoncé has been on the campaign trail for the Obamas.  She recorded a video tribute to the First Lady that was posted on the President’s website and was also active in “Let’s Move!”, the FLOTUS’s campaign against obesity. She also performed at President Obama’s inauguration in 2008.

Mitt Romney has also taken his campaign to email and invited supporters to take a trip on what he calls “Hair Force One,” a crack at jokes about Romney’s well groomed hair. Those who donate to the Romney campaign will be entered for a chance to win a plane ride during a campaigning day. “And, who knows,” Romney added, “maybe you and I will come up with a better name for the campaign plane,” said the message.

Subscribe To The ABS Newsletter — Get our stories in your inbox.

Independent journalism still matters.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Latest from Atlanta Black Star

Back to top