Dick Van Dyke endorses Kamala Harris for US president

Dick Van Dyke has endorsed Kamala Harris for president of the United States, by reading a speech he delivered at a 1964 civil rights event with Martin Luther King Jr.

The Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang star read the message which focused on how “hatred is not the norm” – which he said “means as much today, if not more, than it did then”.

The US actor noted that “a lot has happened” since he first read the passage 50 years ago, “not so much as Martin Luther dreamed of but it’s a start,” he said.

Although Van Dyke did not mention Ms Harris in the video posted on social media, the 98-year-old tagged the vice president in his caption, writing: “VOTE!! ‪@kamalaharris‬”.

“Fifty years ago – May 31st, 1964 — I was on the podium with Dr Martin Luther King, who was addressing some of the 60,000 people in the Colosseum in LA,” he said.

“I was there to read a message written by Rod Serling, the guy who wrote The Twilight Zone.

“I got it out the other day and I think it means as much today, if not more, than it did then, so if you don’t mind, I’d like to read it.”

Van Dyke, who wore a Ralph Lauren polo shirt and glasses, read a short section of the original address titled A Most Non-Political Speech.

“Hatred is not the norm. Prejudice is not the norm. Suspicion, dislike, jealousy, scapegoating, none of those are the transcendent facets of the human personality,” the actor read.

“They are diseases. They are the cancers of the soul. They are the infectious and contagious viruses that have been breeding humanity for years.

“And because they have been and because they are, is it necessary that they shall be? I think not.”

Van Dyke said as long as there is “one voice left to say welcome to a stranger”, “one hand outstretched to say enter and share” and “one mind remaining to think a thought of warmth and friendship” then there is still hope for humanity.

The actor also said there is “essential decency”, “basic goodness” and “preeminent dignity” in everyone.

“There will be moments of violence and expressions of hatred and an ugly echo of intolerance, but these are the clinging vestiges of a decayed past, not the harbingers of the better, cleaner future,” he continued.

“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 it is not necessary.

“We prove it by reaffirming our faith. We prove it by having faith in our affirmations.”

Van Dyke concluded the speech by paraphrasing a quote from Horace Mann, saying: “Let us be ashamed to live without that victory.”