Harris campaign leans into her HBCU roots

Howard University is wherever Vice President Kamala Harris spent immoderate of nan astir formative years of her life, and it will now service arsenic nan location wherever she spends what could arguably beryllium nan astir important nighttime of her life: election night. 

Her run announced this week that Harris will walk predetermination nighttime astatine her Washington, D.C., alma mater. 

"I americium proud to beryllium nan first HBCU vice president of nan United States. I intend to beryllium nan first HBCU president of nan United States," Harris said successful an question and reply pinch Charlamagne tha God conscionable 2 weeks ago.

The Democratic statesmanlike campaigner graduated from Howard University pinch her bachelor's grade successful 1986. On nan campus, nestled connected a elevation successful Washington, D.C., she besides pledged nan first Black sorority successful nan U.S., Alpha Kappa Alpha. The Historically Black College and University was founded successful 1869 and is often referred to arsenic "The Mecca" for its storied bequest of producing Black organization leaders for illustration Stokely Carmichael and Thurgood Marshall.  

If elected, Harris would beryllium nan first Black female to triumph nan presidency, and she has already made history arsenic nan first Black female to unafraid a awesome statement nomination. But her personality is thing she seldom brings up connected nan run way contempt nan historical nature. 

Although Harris whitethorn not talk astir her title connected nan way often, she has highlighted Howard University's domiciled successful her life passim her governmental career; astir precocious it served arsenic 1 of nan locations she did preparations for her debate against erstwhile President Donald Trump. It is besides wherever she launched her grounded 2020 statesmanlike bid.

Harris' run has precocious leaned into HBCUs and attempted to entreaty to young voters and alumni by visiting homecomings connected nan campuses of schools for what it dubbed nan "HBCU Homecoming Tour."

Trey Baker, a elder advisor to Harris, said nan homecoming circuit is astir gathering voters wherever they are. There are astir 290,000 students enrolled astatine HBCUs crossed nan country, according to nan Pew Research Center. Each fall, students and alumni stitchery connected nan campuses for homecomings that are reminiscent of a family reunion. 

Many of nan campaign's homecoming circuit stops person been successful battleground states, but nan run was besides intent connected visiting Howard's homecoming, which took spot successful precocious October.

With a rally held conscionable blocks distant from Howard's campus, nan Harris run provided free nutrient and drinks, pinch merch and gait signs being fixed retired to those who filled retired to perpetrate to ballot cards.

Harris skipped retired connected Howard homecoming this twelvemonth to run successful battleground states, but successful a missive penned to her alma mater, she said, "At Howard, we study that we person nan capacity to beryllium awesome and besides that we person nan work to activity difficult to unrecorded up to that imaginable each day."

Cameron Trimble, who organized nan HBCU circuit and is simply a Howard postgraduate arsenic well, told CBS News it fills him pinch "immense pride" to beryllium capable to formed his ballot for a chap Bison. 

"This is simply a chance for America to really make bully connected nan committedness of nan founding of this country, that each group are genuinely created adjacent and that immoderate American, tin break done immoderate solid ceiling that exists," Trimble said. 

Mississippi authorities Rep. Justis Gibbs graduated from Howard successful 2018 but returned for homecoming and said astir really Harris has inspired him to get progressive politically. 

"I deliberation sometimes we deliberation astir really agelong it takes for things to change, and past alteration is happening correct successful beforehand of us," Gibbs said.  "I retrieve being successful 3rd grade. I didn't deliberation that I would person an African-American president successful my lifetime. And now we person President Barack Obama. We're astir to person President Kamala Harris."

Despite nan support immoderate person for Harris, location is still a consciousness of anxiety. A caller CBS News canvass recovered an moreover divided successful support for Harris and Trump crossed battleground states, underscoring conscionable really adjacent nan predetermination will be.

"There's a batch connected nan statement successful this election," said Virgil Parker, different Howard graduate. "I americium very anxious astir erstwhile President Trump winning because he has already shown america nan divisiveness he is tin of."

Regardless of whether Harris wins nan election, Parker says that "her entree shows america that anyone tin ascend to immoderate level of occurrence nary matter who they are and what they look like. As a personification of colour and HBCU graduate, I spot myself successful VP Harris."

In:
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities
• Howard University
• Kamala Harris
• 2024 Elections