11-year-old’s viral video catches Kamala Harris’ attention

VIENNA, Va. (WDVM) — As Salt Lake City, and the rest of the country, prepared for the Vice Presidential Debate, 11-year-old Celeste Lewis was admiring her new hairdo. “After getting it done I looked in the mirror and I said, ‘Wow, I look like Kamala Harris.’”

So, she decided to surprise her mom. She put on some jewelry, her mom’s heels, and snagged her brother’s blazer. 

“I hear ‘clink, clink, clink,’ and I’m thinking, ‘Who’s walking in high heels in the house on a Sunday afternoon?’” remembered Erinn Harley-Lewis, who was working from home. 

Out to the cul de sac they went. “The motorcade is pulling up. The vice presidential candidate is here,” Erinn said, while she filmed Celeste waving and walking toward her. “Senator Harris, do you have any words for us?”

“I do,” Celeste said, smiling. “When I become vice president, I want to help all the American people. I want to deliver healthcare for all, equality and justice, under the law.” 

Erinn sent the video to a few of her friends. “This touched my heart, because when I was her age I didn’t have anybody on that political stage who looked like me.” One of her friends suggested she tweet the video in the hopes the senator would see it. In 2 days, it received over 11,000 retweets and about 75,000 likes. 

Among them was Senator Kamala Harris herself. “She has my vote,” Harris tweeted. “Tell her to keep leading.” 

Celeste’s sister, Noelle, spotted Harris’ tweet while Celeste was in online class. She pulled her aside to show her. “How could this happen?” Celeste wondered. “I’m just a normal, 11-year-old girl.”

Erinn says the family has been overwhelmed by the support on Twitter, especially since she’s not the biggest tweeter in the world. “I threw it out in the ether and thought, “For some, one-in-a-bazillion chance that she sees this, at least I will have said thank you to her,” she said. “That’s what it was about. ‘I’m grateful. Thank you for giving us a good role model – being a good role model – and representation matters.”