Dick Van Dyke Endorses Kamala Harris; Entertainer Reads Message He Delivered At 1964 Martin Luther King Event

Dick Van Dyke posted his endorsement of Kamala Harris for president today, marking the occasion by reading a speech he delivered at a 1964 civil rights event with Martin Luther King Jr.

In a YouTube video, the 98-year-old entertainer read the remarks, which were written by Rod Serling and focused on how “hatred is not the norm.”

“To those who tell us the inequality of the human animal is a necessary evil, we must respond by simply saying that first, it is evil, but not necessary,” Van Dyke read.

The King event was held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on May 31, 1964, and it preceded the passage of the Civil Rights Act that summer.

At the end of the video, Van Dyke said, “1964. A lot has happened. Not so much as Martin Luther [King] dreamed of, but it’s a start.”

Van Dyke backed Bernie Sanders in the 2020 presidential primary and spoke at one of his campaign events. Earlier this year, Van Dyke told The Hollywood Reporter that he was supporting Joe Biden’s reelection, before the president dropped out of the presidential race.

Van Dyke is among a handful of Hollywood figures to post videos recently on social media, weighing in on the election. Richard Gere endorsed Harris in a video posted by Harris’ Pennsylvania campaign, and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger endorsed her in a statement he posted last week.