Howard Students Express Mixed Feelings about Harris as the Democratic Nominee 

Kamala Harris at a campaign rally in Detroit on September 2, 2024. (Courtesy/Reuters) 

Some Howard students feel uncertain about Democratic nominee Kamala Harris as the 2024 presidential election approaches.  

Vice President Kamala Harris, a Howard alumna, has made history as the first Black and South Asian woman to be elected vice president of the United States. Yet, her multicultural appeal may not be enough to encourage younger voters.

“We don’t really know a lot of her policies,” said Folajinmi Awofeso, a 20-year-old audio production student and a first-time voter. “The policy we do know is, ‘I’m going to continue supporting Israel, and I’ll give some nice words to Palestinians, but Israel is still the priority’.”

During her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, Harris acknowledged the suffering of Palestinians while also voicing her intent to continue supporting Israel. 

“I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself,” she said.

American policy on Israel and Palestine is a contentious issue in the upcoming election. Especially after last year, when mass protests for Palestine broke out on college campuses.

Student protesters across the country are calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an end to U.S. military backing of Israel.

Awofeso is one of those students. Witnessing the plight of Palestinians via social media has made him question his support for Kamala Harris. 

“Since Oct. 7, we’ve had access to what’s happening in Palestine,” he said. “It’s not a sanitized version, it’s on-the-ground journalists telling us what’s happening, and that’s speaking to people.”

According to polling and analytics organization, Gallup, 48% of American adults oppose Israeli military action in Gaza, which is an increase from November 2023

“As I’ve been watching the genocide in Palestine, I’ve learned about how America contributes to that,” said Awofeso. “It makes me iffy with the idea of being enthusiastic about any particular candidate.”

Other students said they are proud to see a Black woman hold such a high office but are unsure about her specific policies and whether she will follow in the footsteps of President Biden.

“It’s cool that she’s a Black woman and she went to Howard,” said senior environmental studies major Clarrisa Smith. “But I can’t say that she’s going to fight much harder than Biden was.”

Since 2020, President Biden has struggled to secure the support of Gen-Z voters, many of whom criticized his economic and foreign policies.

“They’re both moderates,” Smith said. “So, I can’t really say that I know the distinct differences between her views versus Biden’s.”

Senior Kerionne Ussin agreed but said she felt more confident in Harris’ intentions to support marginalized Americans.

“I’m not going to see directly eye to eye with her on every single thing,” she said. “But I think that she’s more cognizant about the struggles of people of color that maybe someone else wouldn’t have knowledge of.”

Although some students identify with Harris more than Biden, they remain indifferent in their political support for a Harris presidency.