Dick Van Dyke, 98, endorses Kamala Harris for president with 1964 MLK Jr. speech

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Esteemed actor Dick Van Dyke has officially announced his support for the 2024 US presidential election.

The 98-year-old entertainment legend endorsed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in a lengthy video on YouTube on Monday, November 4 — in which he read an excerpt from a speech he gave at a civil rights rally with Martin Luther King Jr. in 1964.

The Mary Poppins The actor, who appeared to be in a good mood, emphasized that “hate is not the norm”.

“To those who tell us that 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 from his original speech, written by Twilight zone Creator Rod Serling.

Van Dyke originally delivered the message on May 31, 1964 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The following summer marked the passage of the Civil Rights Act.

The Tony Award-winning actor has long been vocal on political issues. In 2020, Van Dyke supported candidate Bernie Sanders and spoke at one of his campaign rallies. He also supported incumbent President Joe Biden's re-election earlier this year before dropping out of the election.

Towards the end of the video the Dick Van Dyke Show star noted: “1964. “A lot has happened” since he first gave the speech more than 60 years ago. Not as much as Martin Luther (King) dreamed of, but it’s a start.”

While Van Dyke has long been outspoken on social issues throughout his 98 years, he has previously admitted that the state of the world often stresses him out.

In a May interview with deadlineThe Chitty Chitty Bang Bang The actor who “watches the news” gets him into a tizzy every time “he turns on CNN.”