Kamala Harris Hosting Election Night at Howard University Just Makes Sense

When I found out Vice President Kamala Harris would set her up election night headquarters at Howard University — her alma mater and mine—my feelings alternated between pride and skepticism. One of our own will be coming home to what could be not only the most important night of her life, but one of the most transformative moments in American history.

But like most Howard Bisons, I realize that our list of distinguished alumni reads like a call sheet on black American history, and I realize that many presidents have spoken out on the subject. the campus we lovingly call Mecca. I don’t care about symbolism for symbolism’s sake, and I’m not easily impressed. And in a race that at times was about Has Harris paid enough attention to the concerns of black voters?I was worried that her telegram that she would be in Howard to watch the election results – and, she hoped, declare victory – might be perceived as a publicity stunt or a final act of pandering.

But I had to admit that Harris watching Howard perform is not only the right choice, but perhaps the best choice. only choice. She will use her findings to contrast the promise of American democracy with the accomplishments of HBCUs that continue to produce our nation’s best leaders. But there is something more.

America is at a crossroads. On the one hand, there are those who leave power to a select few, whose beliefs are based on exclusion and a focus on the past. Opposite them are those who see great opportunity and want to create a place for people who reflect what the nation looks like today.

The country was at a similar crossroads when Howard was founded in 1867.. Will America keep its promise or remain true to the path of its past?

For centuries, even as its graduates struggled in the face of the worst America had to offer, they still moved forward with the belief that not only “America can be better,” but “I can do better.” what to do with it.” ” As the nation struggled with how to move forward after emancipation and to what extent moving forward was desirable, Howard University, along with many institutions of its kind, demanded more from American democracy and believed in the ideals it promised.

This spirit of optimism and determination fueled many of the changemakers who helped fertilize the soil in which Harris’ flowers had already blossomed. Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture) Amiri Baraka, Vernon Jordan, Elaine Jones, Elijah Cummings, Thurgood Marshall And Shirley Franklin not just visited Howard, they went Howard.

For Byson, the idea of ​​a Harris presidency would not simply represent the elevation of a single distinguished alumnus, but rather would exemplify the standard of excellence that flows from the school’s motto: “Veritas et Utilitas, Truth and Service“

When history books are prohibited and women have been stripped of their bodily autonomy, the idea that a woman of color can break the glass ceiling and become the leader of the free world is as bold as anything we can imagine.

The statement that our possibilities are limitless not only characterizes what our country could be, but also, unmistakably, the mindset of the quintessential Howard Bison. So it is only fitting that Harris experience this extremely historic moment in a safe place where she is deeply rooted in a tradition of truth and service.

If one didn’t know any better, it would be easy to think that this was something out of fantasy or a scripted fairy tale. But don’t be surprised if you meet Howard graduates who have been taught to expect that we can do anything by playing it cool. If you ask why, you’ll likely hear a casual version of, “It’s a feature of HU. You won’t understand.