Since Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic Presidential nominee, her momentum has been undeniable. Still enjoying what political pundits describe as her “post-Democratic Convention bounce,” Harris and Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz have had a slight edge over the Trump-Vance ticket in several battleground states.
The Harris-Walz campaign has launched its HBCU Tour, poised to keep its momentum going and seek to engage young voters.
Christale Spain, National Black Engagement Director of the Harris-Walz Campaign, released an exclusive statement obtained by EBONY detailing Harris’ mission to expand her voter base.
“Vice President Harris has been very clear: she is not taking a single voter for granted, Black voters are not in our back pocket, and we must put in the work to earn their vote,” Spain said. “That is exactly what we are doing by launching an HBCU homecoming tour across battleground states.”
“As President, Kamala Harris will chart a new way forward that includes creating an opportunity economy that provides real economic tools for our community, not to mention her leadership as Vice President has resulted in millions forgiven in student loan debt directly working to close the racial wealth gap and millions of new jobs created for Black workers,” Spain’s statement continued. “Vice President Harris is the only candidate in this election who has delivered real progress for Black America — and she’s just getting started.”
Harris, a proud graduate of Howard University and member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., is no stranger to being an advocate of HBCUs. In September 2023, Hampton University, North Carolina A&T and the Atlanta University Center Consortium (Morehouse College, Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, and Morris Brown College) were on her “Fight for Our Freedoms College Tour.”
When several HBCUs were facing bomb threats, Harris announced that HBCUs are eligible for grants to expand security on campus.
In 2018, then Senator Harris along with Senator Doug Jones helped to increase HBCU spending by 14 percent to $279.6 million that year.
Below is the complete schedule of the HBCU Tour:
● Winston-Salem State University, Weekend of September 28th
● Lincoln University, Weekend of October 12th
● Virginia State University, Weekend of Oct 12
● Howard University, Weekend of October 19th
● North Carolina A&T State University vs. Hampton University, Weekend of October 19th
● Clark Atlanta University, Weekend of October 19th
● Morehouse and Spelman College, Weekend of October 26th
● Florida A&M University vs. Texas Southern University, Weekend of November 2nd
● Shaw University, Fort Valley State University, and Savannah State University, Weekend of November 2nd
