Approximately eight million new voters will be able to cast their ballot this year, and they are poised to play a potentially pivotal role in the election: In the swing state of Pennsylvania alone, there are 1.6 million Gen Z aged voters. But among those currently attending Howard University—the alma mater of the Democratic candidate—the act of voting in a presidential election for the first time has additional resonance.
In 1982, Kamala Harris arrived at Howard. She was spurred by her interest in the law and inspired by the legacy of Thurgood Marshall, who had attended the law school decades earlier. While a student, she attended anti-apartheid protests on the National Mall and interned with Senator Alan Cranston of California. It was at Howard, she told students in a commencement address in 2017, that she honed her ability to speak up for those who most need an advocate.
As a campus embedded in the heart of Washington, DC, Howard has never been insulated from the outside world. And this year is no different—the students we spoke to referred to wide-ranging, specific, and pressing concerns. “We do need to see another person of color in office,” said Shania Smith, a sophomore computer-science major. “And we do need that sense of representation regarding reproductive rights.” One thing they all agreed on: It is an honor, a right, and an imperative to exercise their right to vote.
Quincy, Fine-Arts Major
“We’re not voting for her because she’s our alumna. We’re voting for her to save democracy.”
Indigo, English Major
“It means a lot. I mean, I think to have a say in the future of our country should mean a lot to us as Black people. So yeah, it means a lot. I’m really excited to vote this year.”
Endia, Honors Finance Major
“I feel like voting means it is my voice, basically. It means a lot, especially since my first time and it’s such a crucial one with Project 2025 and Trump versus Kamala. It’s just a lot. It has a lot of weight behind it.”
Trey, Biology Major
“Voting to me means that we have agency to change things. I know that it’s an incremental change, but it’s something that everyone can do to make a difference. And just because of how hard it was for Black people to be able to vote, I just think it’s really important that everyone should vote. Especially Black people. Just voting in general, you’re able to make some amount of change.”
Nandi, Acting Major
“It feels very validating to be able to exercise my rights. My mom is a voting-rights lawyer, so having grown up knowing how important it is and knowing about people who don’t have that right and different ways that they try to take that right away from us—it definitely makes it all the more important. The fact that I’m able to, I feel like I have to.”
Britnee, Health-Science Major
“To me, as a first-time voter, this is a big moment. I’ve never voted before. To know that now I’m at the age where I can have an opinion and make change in the world around me and create a societal difference is really big.”
Carlos, Business-Management Major
“For me, I think it’s important to exercise my right to vote simply because I have family that really fought and then bled for the right to vote and voiced their opinions politically. So it’s important for me to pay that forward, not only for them but also for the future.”
Helena, Nursing Major
“I just feel like it’s my duty. I’ve always been involved in community service and helping out marginalized communities around me as a nursing major. This is my vocation, so I feel like it’s just simply my duty. I don’t think it’s a hard thing to do. I’m just happy to do it now. I can participate now.”
Shauna, Sociology Major
“To me, voting means change. I think it’s such an important thing that people our age should vote. We are such a large group of people and so influential. So to me, voting just means a better country, honestly. “
Nolan, Marketing Major
“I think it means that we technically have a voice, even though the electoral college kind of prevents that, depending on where you’re from. But I think if you’re a voter from Georgia or Michigan, this is a huge deal, and it could mean the future of our democracy and just our country as a whole.”
Trinity, Honors Broadcast-Journalism Major
“I feel like when we think about the right to vote, we think about how our parents say our ancestors died and fought for your right to vote. And I thought about that when I was younger. But now as a person who is getting to vote, I definitely take that sentiment to heart: that people who are two to three generations removed from me were out here fighting for the right of Black people to have a vote and for Black women to have a vote. We should cherish that.”
