For a century, student journalists at Howard University have chronicled life on the campus in Washington, D.C., including commencement addresses by seven presidents, celebrity visits and other monumental occasions. But this Tuesday’s assignment represents a historical opportunity.
Vice President Kamala Harris will spend election night at her alma mater, one of the pre-eminent historically Black colleges in America. That means the staff of the student newspaper, The Hilltop, and students of the Department of Media, Journalism and Film are fastidiously preparing to capture history as it unfolds on their own campus.
“It’s a special time,” said Juan Benn Jr., 22, a senior from Knoxville, Tenn., and the managing editor of The Hilltop, which recently celebrated its 100th year. “As student journalists, we’ve been taught that we’re not a part of history, that we record history. This moment is an incredible opportunity to do just that.”
Benn said the gravity of the moment is not lost on him. “It’s something that in 10, 15, 20, 30 years down the line I’ll be able to look back at this moment in history and be like, ‘I was there. I reported on it.’”
Harris, who graduated from Howard in 1986, has visited the campus multiple times, including as the commencement speaker in 2017. Two years later, she announced she was running for president at Howard, a place she has called “home.”
As the school, established in 1867, celebrated its 100th homecoming a few weeks ago, associate journalism professor Jennifer Thomas said the vice president’s presence was palpable, even if she wasn’t on campus.
”There’s an excitement in the air all stemming from her,” she said. “Whether she wins or loses, she is still Howard’s own and made history in so many ways. And it’s great that our students get to experience this firsthand and report about it.”
The students will be “everywhere” on Election Day, Thomas said. More than 60 students will be involved in the expansive coverage, across the student newspaper, the college television station, WHUT, the campus website, Howard’s YouTube channel and the communications school’s website.
“It’s full throttle,” said The Hilltop’s editor in chief, JD Jean-Jacques II, 21, a senior from Greenwich, Conn., who was the recipient of the White House Correspondents’ Association Percy Newbie Award for outstanding journalism and dedication to the student newspaper.
“It’s a momentous opportunity for us to be able to cover this,” he said. “We understand we have a particular duty to present accurate, fact-based, unbiased reporting around the election and deliver news to our readers. We are interested in telling stories, and we’re intellectually curious about the goings on at Howard. So, we are extremely excited to be able to tell the story of this election, with a candidate who walked the same grounds we walk now.”
Howard students covered Harris’ interview in Philadelphia by the National Association of Black Journalists in September, the Democratic National Convention in August and events at the White House.
“They are really so fortunate, and they recognize that, and they’re very focused on doing it right,” Thomas said.
Skyler Winston, The Hilltop’s political editor, said the magnitude of the election heightens their job as reporters.
“Given the fact that this is a lot of our first time voting in a presidential election, tensions are high,” said Winston, 21, a senior from northern California. “There’s also a concern about the potential for political violence. But mostly, Howard’s campus has been the center of energy that’s really high. There’s excitement, tension, anxiety. You feel it all on campus, in talking to students.”
That energy inspires Winston to be at her best and fills her with gratitude. “It’s my job to defend democracy,” she said. “And I’m very excited to have that opportunity in this historic moment. I’m grateful to be at Howard University at this time.”
Benn said covering the election adds value to his education.
“This is an invaluable experience,” Benn said. “It really exemplifies that we — HBCUs in general, Black students — can do this, too. This is what this moment shows us. No matter what career you are in, it just shows you that you can make it to the top.”
Added Jean-Jacques: “This is one of those experiences that almost transcends our degrees. It’s something that all of us are going to remember for the rest of our lives.”
