'It means everything': Howard University reacts to Kamala Harris' historic nomination

Joy, pride, and buzz. At Howard University, there's been a "cosmic shift" since Vice President Kamala Harris climbed to the top of the Democratic ticket, according to junior Janella Laurio.

It's the first week of school for Laurio, 21, and she and her roommate are still getting their apartment set up. She wanted to rush to finish in time to sit down and watch Harris, a Howard alum, accept the Democratic presidential nomination at the party's convention in Chicago. Harris is the first Black woman and person of Southeast Asian descent to lead a major party ticket.

For the country, the choice is historic. For Laurio, it's personal.

"Not only is she a Black woman like myself, she's also of Asian descent, such as myself," Laurio said. "I went to Howard University. She's a Howard alumna. I am the president of the Black Women in Pre-Law Society. I mean, she is the Black woman in law."

Harris shouted out Thurgood Marshall, another one of her alma mater's famous alums, during her acceptance speech Thursday. She said her parents made sure she and her sister learned about the first Black Supreme Court justice.

"She taught us to never complain about injustice but to do something about it," Harris said. "That was my mother."

Senior Lauren North, 21, said she appreciated and related to Harris' comments about the impact her mom had on her success.

"It is a huge reminder to me even now that although I am a senior and stressed about the future, my mom's work ethic and sacrifice already forged the pathway for me," North said. "It is up to me to keep hope and keep running."

Harris discussed her track record as a district attorney and attorney general on Thursday. Junior Mikayla Williams, who watched the speech live on TikTok, said she loved Harris' emphasis that she has fought for the people. She said Harris' comparison between her and her opponent made her laugh.

"Her client is America, while Donald Trump's client is himself," Williams said.

Junior Karson Smith thought Harris came off as poised and sincere. She said the speech was likely to transcend beyond the typical DNC demographic.

"She demonstrated not only her qualifications, but also her exceptional role model status for millions, and the diverse faces in the audiences prove such," Smith said.

More: DNC Day 4: Live coverage of speaker schedule, Kamala Harris to take the stage

'Representation is key'

It's hard to find students at Howard, one of the nation's preeminent historically Black colleges, who aren't excited about Harris' candidacy.

Many of them will cast a ballot for the first time in this year's presidential election. Laurio says her first vote being for Harris "makes so much sense" for her life story.

She was born and raised in the Philippines but moved to Colorado in 2018, where she is registered to vote. Laurio studies political science and psychology, is the founder and president of the campus Asian heritage association My’EJA, and dreams of becoming a lawyer.

"It does bring me pride in what she represents," Laurio said. "It's a reminder to me that I shouldn't limit myself."

As president of the Abram Harris Economics Society, Smith, 20, is following in Harris' footsteps, who also led the organization during her time at the university. Smith said before moving to Washington to study economics and international affairs, she was the only Black girl in her graduating high school class in Texas.

She said Harris' nomination "means everything."

"The biggest thing that I found up growing up was the importance of seeing somebody else who looks like you in the room," Smith said. "Seeing her on a national scale, being on television, being 'in the room where it happens' is heartwarming because we don't see that."

North, who studies political science and philosophy with plans to attend law school, says Harris reminds her to dream bigger.

"It's kind of reinforcing that notion that I can do anything," North said. "Maybe I could be the next president."

Professors feel it too. Jo Von McCalester graduated from the same department as Harris during her undergrad before attending the university's law school and joining its faculty. She also hails from Harris' home state of California.

"Representation is key," McCalester said.

Harris is a Bison and an Alpha Kappa Alpha

Harris said the beauty of Howard is that every student is told they can be anything in her 2019 memoir “The Truths We Hold: An American Journey."

She graduated from Howard in 1986 with a degree in political science and economics. During her time there, she joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. , the oldest Greek-letter African American sorority founded at Howard in 1908.

Shortly before announcing her presidential campaign in July, Harris delivered the keynote speech during the sorority's annual meeting in Dallas, Texas.

Alpha Kappa Alphas launched a political action committee to help elect Harris last week. The sorority is part of "the Divine Nine," a group of nine Black Greek sororities and fraternities that could play a key role in making it happen, by helping mobilize support among Black middle class and suburban voters.

Some members were invited to watch Harris formally accept the Democratic nomination Thursday.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. International President and CEO Danette Anthony Reed said in a statement to USA TODAY that the organization does not endorse specific candidates. She added, however, that it encourages its members to vote in the upcoming election.

Harris returned to Howard Aug. 12 while on the campaign trail to speak to incoming freshmen, according to the Washington Informer .

"The thing that Howard taught me is that you can do any collection of things, and not one thing to the exclusion of the other. You could be homecoming queen and valedictorian. There are no false choices at Howard," Harris reportedly told the crowd.

'We've known we could do this'

Like many across the country, some members of the Howard community were skeptical of Harris' ability to secure the presidential nomination as a woman of color.

But McCalester, whose academic work includes Black women's studies and comparing political developments to the Civil Rights Movement, said she's confident Harris will win in November.

"We've known we could do this," McCalester said. "Now you are finding out."

Before Harris officially announced her presidential bid for the White House, junior Brian Singleton wasn't so sure. Singleton, 20, said he was surprised, but pleased to see the outpouring of donations, party endorsements and voter support for Harris once President Joe Biden exited the race.

He said that support made him believe she could defeat former President Donald Trump .

"As a Black woman in America, I was hesitant as to whether or not that was something that America was really ready for," Singleton said. "It'll be a hard battle, for sure, but I'm much more confident now that she can do it than I was before."

Harris' nomination is decades, if not centuries, in the making. Just eight years after the Civil Rights Act, Shirley Chisholm , the first Black woman elected to Congress, became the first woman and Black person to launch a U.S. presidential campaign in 1972.

The thought of a Harris victory makes Williams, 20, tear up. She can't imagine seeing someone like her in the White House even ten years ago.

Williams majors in psychology, and says her dad is more interested in politics than her. But she said between Trump's attempted assassination , Biden dropping out , and Harris entering the race , she and her roommate started paying attention. And they made plans to watch the Howard alum's convention speech.

"Honestly, this is not something that I would normally do," Williams said. "But since this is something that is so pivotal in history, we're going to sit down and we're going to tune in."

Rachel Barber is a 2024 election fellow at USA TODAY, focusing on politics and education. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @rachelbarber_

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'It means everything': Howard University reacts to Kamala Harris' historic nomination