If You Know, You Know... Vice President Kamala Harris is Leading the Way for HBCUs

It's about time that historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) get the recognition they have long deserved.

With Vice President Kamala Harris' official selection of Howard University as her election night headquarters, it feels like the world is finally catching up. This is a moment that’s both symbolic and unprecedented: it is the first time a historically Black college will serve as a campaign headquarters on election night, and the first time a Black woman, who is also the first female vice president, is taking the stage as a presidential candidate in the United States. And it’s all going down at Howard, the “Mecca” of HBCUs.

This night stands as more than an election. It’s a celebration of the legacy that HBCUs represent—a legacy that’s often been erased, downplayed, or underestimated in the mainstream. HBCUs have been engines of Black excellence since their founding, producing influential Black leaders across every industry, even as they have fought for recognition in a society that prefers to look the other way.

For so many Black students, an HBCU is an educational experience, a community, a place that says, “You belong here, and you have a right to take up space.” Yet, time and again, HBCU graduates have to prove their worth beyond their degrees, confronting the idea that a Black college education somehow falls short. Harris' decision to choose Howard for her campaign HQ sends a powerful, defiant message to that narrative. She’s showing that the HBCU experience is powerful, respected, and poised to change the world. No disclaimers. No explanations.

And for Harris, Howard is more than where she earned her diploma. It is where she began her journey into leadership, activism, and politics. Howard, like other HBCUs, gives students the space to grow, discover, and thrive without the constant burden of representing Blackness where it may not be fully understood. Choosing Howard as her election night headquarters is a message to every HBCU student, alum, and future graduate: your journey, your education, and your future are as valid as anyone’s, and it’s time the world gets on board.

But this moment calls attention to two stories HBCUs tell. One, they have the power to find diamonds in the rough—students who might not fit traditional molds, yet flourish under the right guidance and community. They are also capable of attracting high-potential, high-achieving students and elevating them even further. This duality speaks to the unique impact HBCUs have, and why it’s time for leadership at these institutions to get serious about sharing that story, loudly and unapologetically.

It’s time for leaders at HBCUs to get serious about sharing the power of community. After all, community drives reputation, which establishes relationships that impact revenue. HBCUs deserve to be seen as powerhouses, not just for their grit but for their brilliance, and this election night at Howard is the perfect backdrop to start rewriting that narrative.

This moment highlights both the legacy and the challenges HBCUs continue to face today, compared to predominantly white institutions (PWIs). With Harris' choice of Howard, it’s a wake-up call to every HBCU president and supporter to tell their own stories, loudly and unapologetically. It’s also a huge flex for Howard, the “Mecca” of Black intellect and achievement, standing in the heart of Washington, D.C.—a city steeped in Black history, culture, and activism.

Founded in 1867, the university has educated countless trailblazers, activists, thinkers, and cultural icons like Thurgood Marshall, Toni Morrison, Chadwick Boseman, and Zora Neale Hurston. Howard’s campus, where generations of students have marched, protested, and shaped change, is exactly where this election night should unfold. On November 5, as Howard’s lights blaze and voices are lifted, it will be a powerful celebration of Black achievement. And it’s about damn time.

Win or lose, this night at Howard will go down in history. Harris is proving that you don’t have to erase your roots to rise to the top. Greatness starts with Dope Thinking, and while it’s often said that what's understood doesn't have to be explained, the reality is that America has never lacked an understanding of the source of greatness.

What America has historically lacked is the societal readiness to embrace Dope Thinkers — those who elevate categories, ideas, and people through the power of inclusive and diverse intelligence. Vice President Harris personifies this and more.

Because if you know, you know.