Historically, black colleges are once again key to voting

HISTORY: For decades, historically black colleges and universities – or HBCUs – played a prominent role in elections.

This year is no different.

CIARA MITCHELL, FRESHMAN: “I really like how the campus is making sure every student is included and voting because this is a really, really big election…”

This is North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University's homecoming weekend.

It is a weekend-long celebration of Black culture, tradition, school pride and community spirit.

But there's more excitement – as the November 5 vote is just around the corner for this electoral battleground.

JUSTICE MONTGOMERY, FRESHMAN: “Back at band camp, they actually wanted to make sure everyone was registered to vote. So we had a whole classroom dedicated to how to log in, you know.”

Young Americans could play a crucial role in the race as many are voting in a presidential election for the first time.

:: October 15, 2024

HARRIS: “…when I got to Howard, when I went to college…”

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris is an HBCU graduate herself.

She and her Republican rival Donald Trump are both targeting young and undecided voters during the election campaign.

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They have invested heavily in political advertising and made several trips to battleground states, including Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina, home to more than a dozen HBCUs.

“We know North Carolina desperately needs youth voting.”

Tiffany Seawright is Director of Leadership and Engagement at North Carolina A&T State:

“We are pushing for early voting, we are pushing for youth voting. We urge them to vote, no matter where they are in this moment, to see students actually start standing up again. We have seen a change for the better.”

While Harris has strong support among young black women.

Trump has reportedly found favor with black men…

…a statistic that some Democratic strategists believe is exaggerated.

A recent NAACP poll found that the share of black men under 50 who were likely to vote for Trump fell from 27 to 21 percent from August to October.

CALVIN CHADWICK, ALUMNUS: “We had Barack Obama, the first black president. And it's time for a woman to take the lead. It's time. I think it’s time.”

HBCUs have long been cultural and political centers of Black communities.

They were once the only places where black Americans could pursue higher education when discriminatory laws barred them from attending predominantly white universities.

CIARA MITCHELL, FRESHMAN: “I’m really glad that as an HBCU student, I see firsthand that people actually care about our country and also care about us.”