WASHINGTON – In her presidential concession speech at Howard University Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris addressed young people about the future—and many were eager to listen.
For Alice Still, a 20-year-old political science student at American University, attending felt like paying her respects to a campaign she had passionately backed, offering a kind of political wake as she said her goodbyes.
“The least I can do is show up for a candidate who fought so hard and be here to support her one last time,” Still said.
Originally from Pennsylvania, Still described how she stayed up late watching election results unfold, only to be shocked and disheartened as her home state swung in favor of former President Donald Trump.
“I was optimistic that my home state, which I love and want to continue loving so badly, would do the right thing in this election,” Still said.
Still volunteered for the Harris-Walz campaign in her hometown of Gettysburg, where she canvassed door-to-door and participated in phone banking efforts. Although Adams County, where she lives, has traditionally voted Republican, she felt the Harris campaign was gaining momentum and outpacing Trump’s efforts in the state.
“I could burst into tears just thinking about it,” Still said.
She pointed to the possibility of a national abortion ban, a complete withdrawal from Ukraine and unyielding support for Israel as her biggest concerns under a second Trump presidency.
Ahead of Harris’s concession speech, Still said that she expected a hopeful message, admitting that she felt like she was attending to help ease her own fears about the election results.
“I’m feeling very hopeless right now, and if there’s one thing that Kamala Harris can do, it’s speak to young people and give them drive and give them hope,” Still said.
Harris began her speech by thanking her family, President Joe Biden, her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and all those who supported her campaign. She stressed the importance of respecting the outcome of elections and said that she had called Trump to congratulate him and wish him well earlier in the day. While many in the crowd booed over her concession, they erupted in applause when she promised a peaceful transfer of power.
Speaking to her supporters, Harris acknowledged the intense emotions of the moment while emphasizing that the fight to protect opportunities for all Americans to pursue their dreams and safeguard bodily autonomy does not end with her campaign.
Then, she turned her attention directly to the young people in the audience, telling them that while it is okay to be disappointed, she believes that it’s going to be okay.
“On the campaign, I would often say when we fight, we win,” Harris said. “But here’s the thing, sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn’t mean we won’t win.”
Unlike Hillary Clinton’s concession speech in 2016, Harris did not directly address the historic nature of her candidacy, which would have made her the first female president and woman of color. While Clinton famously spoke to “all the little girls who are watching this,” Harris kept her message to young people gender-neutral, only briefly alluding to the groundbreaking aspects of her campaign.
“Don’t you ever listen when anyone tells you something is impossible because it has never been done before,” Harris said.
For Praise Alexis, a 19-year-old student at Howard, Harris’s decision to spend election night at her alma mater reflected her gratitude not only for the education and experiences she gained there, but also for the current students and the role young people played in her campaign.
“She could be anywhere today, but she chose to come back here, to the place where she graduated. So, I think that’s a huge thing,” Alexis said.
Many Howard students attended both the election watch party Tuesday and Harris’s speech Wednesday, sporting school merchandise and chanting the university’s rallying cry, “HU! You Know!” as she left the stage. Members of Harris’s sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, wore the organization’s pink and green sweatshirts in a show of solidarity with their sorority sister.
But, Harris’s support among college student attendees extended beyond her own alma mater.
Kim Cimino, a 24-year-old pre-law student at Liberty University, was the first in line to hear Harris speak. Though doors for the event opened at 1 p.m. and Harris took the stage at 4 p.m., Cimino had already staked out a spot on a nearby sidewalk long before security set up metal barricades in the street for the queue.
“I wanted to be the first person and get a good spot so I could see her in person,” Cimino said. “I want to be around my people.”
