Hours before polls closed on Election Day, Howard University — the place Vice President-elect Kamala D. Harris spent her undergraduate years — honored her historic 2020 bid.
Harris has been vocal about Howard and how the historically Black institution shaped her life and career. On the second night of the Democratic National Convention, Harris wore a sweatshirt stamped with a Howard logo. She recently told an audience at Spelman College she prepared for her debate with Vice President Pence on Howard’s campus in D.C.
The visibility of historically Black colleges and universities is at a high. The political ascension of Harris — who will become the first HBCU graduate to serve as vice president — and the presidential campaign have raised their profile, while calls for racial justice following nationwide protests have delivered record donations and other outpourings of support.
Many now hope for a financial reckoning.
