Melinda French Gates explains why she's endorsing Kamala Harris, talks new YouTube series and more
Philanthropist Melinda French Gates said she is endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris and announced a new YouTube series called "The Moments That Make Us," which includes interviews with women from various generations, including Megan Rapinoe and "CBS Mornings'" co-host Gayle King.
French Gates, who said she has never before endorsed a candidate, said the likely Democratic nominee is the "right candidate, right now" in an interview on "CBS Mornings."
"She has believed in women's reproductive freedom from the beginning of her career, and that got rolled back under previous administrations. She knows what society is up against now. She's for paid family medical leave. She's for caregiving ... She has always been outspoken on these topics, and I think she's a woman of our time."
On a personal level, French Gates said she thought about the next generation and her 16-month-old granddaughter while endorsing Harris.
"She will grow up, if Kamala is the president, saying, 'I can be at the highest position in the land.' Look what that says to young women, just like look what it said to young Black men when Barack Obama became president."
For her YouTube series, French Gates, who earlier this year left the Gates Foundation that she helped to co-found 25 years ago, spoke with women including Michelle Obama and Billie Jean King about managing change and growing older.
In one episode of her new series, she sat down with Oprah and King – saying this about their conversation.
"To hear them really talk about their friendship over such a long period of time and what it's meant in their careers and their lives just felt amazing and something I definitely want to share with the world."
French Gates also noted that society has made a lot of progress.
"Somebody outed her (Billie Jean King) as a gay woman. It killed her endorsements," French Gates said. "Megan Rapinoe at age 39, she got to decide when to come out."
But the progress is not enough, fast enough, French Gates expressed, adding that she thinks society will eventually get there.
"To see their social activism over decades … It makes me excited about how this country has moved over time and these women have experienced it and been part of it.
As she turns 60 next month, French Gates expressed why she wanted to share these stories.
"Women's stories matter and these women were all trailblazers in different ways in society. And we all, men and women, go through transitions in life," she said. "I thought, these are women whose stories I've been lucky enough to see even a little bit up close and I wanted other people to know these big moments."