"Suits" actress Gina Torres (left) and former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara (right) participate in a fireside chat on Sept. 19 at the Penn Museum.
Credit: Derek Wong"Suits" actress Gina Torres and former United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara visited Penn's campus on Sept. 19 for a fireside chat discussing the importance of voter protection work.
The event, organized by Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign in partnership with the Pennsylvania Democratic Voter Protection team, was held at the Penn Museum and attracted around 100 attendees. The speakers touched on key issues such as reproductive rights, voting rights, and civic engagement, urging attendees to create a voting plan and encourage others to participate in the election.
Throughout their conversation, Torres and Bharara discussed the looming presidential election, noting that there remains significant work to be done to elect Harris — a sentiment that has been echoed by the vice president throughout her campaign.
Harris’ whirlwind candidacy started in mid-July — only months before Election Day on Nov. 5 — after former Penn professor and President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed his vice president as the Democratic nominee for president. Both speakers at the Penn Museum contrasted this year’s election with previous ones, and Bharara acknowledged the high rate of mobilization among voters, particularly progressive Democrats, who he said were “hungrier than they have ever been.”
“I have been activated to participate in this election more than ever, because the stakes have never been higher,” Torres said.
Bharara also noted the divide between Harris and former President and 1968 Wharton graduate Donald Trump.
“On one side, you have Kamala Harris, who has been devoted her entire life to enforcing the law… and understanding what our Constitution means,” he said. “On the other side, you have a convicted felon — Trump — who doesn’t appreciate the law.”
Torres and Bharara also discussed their personal motivations for advocating and using their platforms as the 2024 presidential election approaches. Torres described how her Cuban heritage and background have shaped her political activism and said the importance of voting was a value instilled in her by her immigrant parents. She also said that it can be challenging to speak out on political issues in the entertainment industry.
“A lot of people don’t want you to shatter their illusion of who they want you to be, who they’ve chosen you to be, to fit into whatever fantasy character they have become attached to,” she said.
Bharara attributed his involvement in public service and political activism to his immigrant background. He called himself a “patriot" and said his parents taught him the importance of serving his fellow citizens and community members.
“I became the chief federal law enforcement officer in Manhattan at age 40 when I was born in Punjab, India," he said. "That is a testament to the power of mobility and opportunity in this country, and I think about that every day."
Reproductive rights, a major issue to voters, was also a topic of conversation. Torres pointed to the separation of church and state as one of the pillars of United States democracy, but said it had been "chipped away" over the years — particularly in regards to women's reproductive rights.
She described the moment she was waken up by her partner in the morning she learned Roe v. Wade had been overturned.
"I've been to three women's marches, the last one I took my daughter to, in my lifetime,” she said. “Why are we still marching for this?”
Bharara ended the event by calling for unity in the Democratic Party’s “big tent” regardless of internal disagreements on key issues.
“With 46 days left, let’s be unified. Let’s not be divided. We can have those fights and those good faith discussions that Democrats have had for a century after Kamala Harris and [Minnesota Gov.] Tim Walz get elected,” Bharara said.
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