Kerry Washington is headed to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention this week.
The actress, 47, will serve as a host at the convention alongside her former “Scandal” co-star Tony Goldwyn, actress Mindy Kaling, and “The View” host Ana Navarro, CNN reported on Sunday night. The DNC hosting gig is similar to an award show host, according to convention organizers. Each star will host one night of the four-day convention, where they will begin the broadcast with an opening monologue and share remarks throughout the evening.
Washington will be the host on Thursday, which is the night Vice President Kamala Harris will formally accept the Democratic nomination, per CNN. Goldwyn will host Monday night, Navarro will host on Tuesday, and Kaling is scheduled to host on Wednesday.
The Hollywood hosts will be joined by political stars as well. Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton are all scheduled to speak at the DNC with President Joe Biden opening the convention.
Washington has been a vocal Democratic supporter through the years. She previously spoke at the Democratic National Convention in 2012 and in 2020, where she opened the third night, according to CNN. The “UnPrisoned” star is so politically active that she created her own political non-profit, Influence Change, which “recruits fellow artists to promote civic engagement.”
“Through Influence Change, Washington recruited more than 250 celebrities in 2020 to help promote voter registration, early voting, poll worker recruitment and making a voting plan,” according to Harvard, per CNN.
Washington opened up about her focus on political engagement in a recent interview with CNN, saying, “Democracies work best when everyone votes. As someone in the public eye, it’s important to me to remind people of their political power and to share whatever information I have that helps them to step into their power.”
“Artists, musicians, athletes, actors, and creators have a unique opportunity to encourage voters,” she said. “The combined reach of our networks can be leveraged to inspire participation and ensure that more people take their rightful place as active participants in our democracy. I don’t speak out because I am an artist, I speak out because I am an American.”