Kamala Harris’ presidential election loss stills mood at Howard, but pride remains

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In front of a somber crowd at Howard University on Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris implored her supporters to stay engaged despite their disappointment over her loss in the presidential election.

“The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for,” Harris said during her concession speech, her first public remarks since The Associated Press called the race for former President Donald Trump before dawn Wednesday morning. “But hear me when I say the light of America’s promise will always burn bright, as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.”

The scene stood in stark contrast to the upbeat mood that permeated Howard’s campus for much of Tuesday night, when thousands of enthusiastic supporters flocked to Harris’ alma mater for a campaign watch party hoping it would become a coronation of the first Black woman elected president of the United States.

Howard senior Monet Heath said the Democratic presidential nominee’s loss did not shock or surprise her.

“I remember when Kamala was initially announced as the replacement nominee, I was worried if she could win. Based on the way social media has painted her as well as her short amount of time to campaign, this is the result,” Heath said.  

During Tuesday night’s gathering, a DJ played music as pink-and-green clad members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. strolled among a blue sea of Howard students and alumni, all there to support one of their own – Harris pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha at the historically Black university in 1986.  

Alumna Alana Gatling, who pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha at Howard in the spring of 2009, said celebrating a Black presidential candidate on campus was a familiar experience for her. 

“When I was a freshman, Obama won, and so I literally was over here jumping and screaming, going into Blackburn [University Center] when he won,” Gatling said. “So it just feels really, really familiar. To be here again, celebrating Kamala and the school, the same sorority, it just feels really emotional.”

Howard junior Ka’Darius McNair said this is the first presidential election he was eligible to vote in, so when he heard Harris was hosting a campaign event on campus he had hopes of witnessing history.

“She could have stayed at the White House. She could have had her reception somewhere else, but for her to come back to Howard, to her stomping grounds, where she went to a long time ago, that speaks volumes to this school, the culture, the heritage and the legacy that she’s leaving here for Howard students,” he said.

However, as each hour passed with poll results signaling a significantly steeper road to victory for Harris, the mood grew more somber.

By just before 1 a.m., when Harris campaign co-chair Cedrick Richmond told attendees she wouldn’t be speaking until later Wednesday, the crowd had thinned considerably.