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VP Harris Bids Farewell to Howard University Crowd, Urges Supporters to Keep Fighting for America

On an outdoor stage on Howard University’s campus, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris formally conceded the presidential election to Donald J. Trump Wednesday afternoon after his victory was declared earlier that morning. The historic run would have made her the first woman, second Black person, and first person of South Asian descent to ascend to the country’s highest office.

Published

2 years ago

November 6, 2024

Oakland Post

Vice President Kamala Harris speaking Nov. 6 at her alma mater, Howard University in Washington, D.C., concedes her 2024 presidential campaign against former President Donald Trump. (Jada Ingleton/The Washington Informer)

By Stacy M. Brown

NNPA Newswire

The historic run would have made her the first woman, second Black person, and first person of South Asian descent to ascend to the country’s highest office.

“Let me say my heart is full today — full of gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, full of love for our country, and full of resolve,” Harris said.

A diverse group of supporters, family members, and well-known allies, including D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, NAACP President Derrick Johnson, a host of other elected officials, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, looked on as Harris emerged onto the stage at Howard University to the stirring strains of Beyoncé’s “Freedom.”

Jeezy’s song “My President,” which features the stirring line “My president is Black,” energized the crowd before her entrance, setting the scene for a moving farewell speech. The atmosphere was charged as Harris began, looking out at a sea of American flags and expectant faces at her alma mater.

“Every one of us, no matter who we are or where we start out, has certain fundamental rights and freedoms that must be respected and upheld,” she stated, pausing as applause swelled from the crowd. Harris made it clear that while her campaign had reached its end, the fight for justice and equity was only beginning. “We will continue to wage this fight in the voting booth, in the courts, and in the public square,” she affirmed, issuing a call to action that echoed her campaign’s spirit.

Harris addressed the emotions that many in the crowd were visibly grappling with. Speaking directly to the young people watching, she said, “It is OK to feel sad and disappointed, but please know it’s going to be OK… Sometimes the fight takes a while, that doesn’t mean we won’t win.” She reminded them, “Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars,” a line that drew a mix of cheers and solemn nods as the crowd took in her message of resilience.

In her 107-day campaign, begun after President Joe Biden decided not to seek re-election, Harris focused on issues such as climate change, social justice, healthcare, abortion care, and promoting economic equality. Momentum for her campaign stalled a bit around issues like immigration and how to deal with the ongoing Israel-Palestine war.

Reflecting on the campaign, Harris shared her pride in the coalition they had built. “We have been intentional about building community… bringing people together from every walk of life,” she said, emphasizing the need to accept the election results but with an eye to the future. “This is not a time to throw up our hands,” she declared, urging her supporters to channel their emotions into continued efforts. “This is a time to roll up our sleeves.”

Harris acknowledged the fight ahead, framing it not as a loss but as a turning point. “While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign,” she said firmly. “That is a fight I will never give up.” She took a moment to express her gratitude to those who had stood by her side, including her husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, and her vice presidential candidate, Tim Walz.

“I am so proud of the race we ran and the way we ran it,” she said. Her voice cracked slightly as she added, “We owe loyalty not to a president or to a party but to the Constitution of the United States.”

She acknowledged her call to President-elect Donald Trump, stating that she offered assistance to him in the upcoming transition. She urged her supporters not to give up, and to keep fighting for the Y.S. Constitution and democracy.

As she neared the end of her speech, Harris’s words took on an unmistakable urgency. “The fight for our freedom will take hard work, but like I always say, we like hard work,” she told the crowd. She urged them to continue engaging, reminding them that meaningful change requires sustained effort.

With a final, defiant wave, Harris walked off the stage arm in arm with Emhoff, her head held high as Beyoncé’s “Freedom” filled the air once more. Her last words: “Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.”

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Oakland Observes Black August with Block Parties, Film Showings, Workshops

POST NEWS GROUP — Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

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1 hour ago

August 15, 2026

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George Jackson wrote two books: “Soledad Brother,” and “Blood in My Eye” before her was killed in an attempt to escape prison on Aug. 21, 1971.

By Jana Lang, Propel Youth Reporter

Study. Train. Fast. Fight.

These are the four tenets of Black August, a month dedicated to commemorating the sacrifices of political prisoners and Black revolutionaries in the struggle for Black liberation.

Observers are urged to study the history of the Black struggle for freedom, train their bodies for health and self-defense, fast to cleanse the mind, body, and spirit, and fight ongoing oppression alongside their communities and local political organizations.

Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

While in prison, George befriended fellow prisoner W.L. Nolen, who introduced him to the works of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, and Frantz Fanon. This radicalization coupled with his experiences of violence while imprisoned led to him writing and publishing two books, “Soledad Brother” (1970), and “Blood in my Eye” (1972). In January of 1970, George and two other prisoners were charged with murdering a corrections officer at Soledad State Prison in Monterey County.

On Aug. 7, 1970, Jonathan Jackson burst into a Marin County courtroom armed with a shotgun to demand the freedom of the Soledad Brothers. He, along with the inmates he freed, was shot and killed while driving away. This involved one of the Black Panther Party’s most notable associates, Angela Davis, because the shotgun was registered in her name. She was later acquitted of charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder in 1972.

On Aug. 21, 1971, George Jackson was assassinated by a corrections officer after attempting to escape and free other inmates. As a result, there were uprisings and protests within prisons all over the country that year, calling forth resistance against racial oppression and mass incarceration.

Since its outset, Black August has evolved across the country, taking many forms to honor this history and embody the four tenets.

In Oakland, the upcoming Black August Experience, hosted by Youth Alive! and the East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA), is a free, family-friendly event celebrating the legacy of Black August. Activities include free food and drinks, a kids’ activity zone, interactive workshops, live cooking and boxing demonstrations, and more.

Happening on Aug. 21 from 4-8 p.m. at the EOBA Patio, Carolyn Flynn, director of administration at EOBA, said the event, in its second year, will be an opportunity to engage with people in person through food, shared space, and education.

“We do regular classes in education, and those are ongoing programs that we offer, but we wanted to have [an opportunity] for our neighbors to utilize this space.” Combined with Youth Alive’s work in community violence prevention and youth leadership, this event surely aims to bring the Oakland community together to capture what Black August means today.

Here are additional Black August events happening in Oakland:

Forum and Community Discussion hosted by the Oakland Liberation Center, 1499 Fruitvale Ave., Aug. 14, 7 p.m.

“George Jackson/San Quentin” Screening hosted by Nostalgic for Nothing Cinema at Moments Co-Op, 410 13th St., Aug. 16, doors at 6 p.m., show at 6:30 p.m. (Masks required and scent-free)

Commemorating the Struggle, Building the Altar for Liberation: Black August at Bandung Books, 2269 International Blvd., Aug. 23rd, 1-5 p.m.

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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Oakland Post: Week of August 12 – 18, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of August 12 – 18, 2026

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1 hour ago

August 15, 2026

Oakland Post

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COMMENTARY: Why Local School Tax Measure G1 Will Not Be on the November Ballot

POST NEWS GROUP — Measure G1 is the local tax measure that supports middle school teacher retention and the expansion of arts, music, and world language programs at both OUSD middle schools and charter middle schools. The current measure expires in 2029.

Published

1 hour ago

August 15, 2026

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By Jennifer Brouhard, Oakland School Board President

There has been considerable speculation recently about why Measure G1 will not appear on the November ballot and what that means for the Oakland Unified School District’s current budget.

I want to provide some clarity about what happened and, importantly, what did not happen.

Measure G1 is the local tax measure that supports middle school teacher retention and the expansion of arts, music, and world language programs at both OUSD middle schools and charter middle schools. The current measure expires in 2029.

Because these funds are important to our schools and to the continuity of these programs, the district initially intended to place a renewal initiative on the November ballot to provide greater early certainty about funding beyond the expiration of the current measure.

As part of that process, the Board scheduled a special meeting for the required public hearing on the ballot initiative. There has been some suggestion that this meeting was noticed only one day in advance. That is not accurate.

Public hearings of this nature are subject to specific notice requirements, and the meeting must be noticed at least two weeks before the hearing. In practice, the notice may appear even earlier depending on publication schedules. The notice for the Measure G1 public hearing was published in the Tribune on 7/24/2026 and 7/31/2026.

So, why wasn’t the Measure G1 paperwork ultimately filed?

After the Board approved placing the measure on the ballot, the next step required the Alameda County Superintendent of Schools to sign the necessary paperwork before it could be submitted to the Oakland City Clerk.

During that process, Alameda County Superintendent Alysse Castro raised concerns about potential litigation stemming from another court case unrelated to OUSD and about whether proceeding with the measure could expose the district or County to legal challenges. Superintendent Castro’s action is unprecedented and concerning.

It is important to distinguish between the Board’s decision to pursue Measure G1 and the subsequent procedural and legal issues that arose. The Board did approve moving forward with the measure. The measure did not fail because the Board chose not to support it, nor was the public hearing improperly noticed.

The decision not to proceed with the November ballot was made in light of the County’s concerns about potential litigation and the County’s required approval process.

We also need to be clear about what this does, and does not, mean for OUSD’s current budget. The existing Measure G1 funds remain available through the expiration of the current measure in 2029. The immediate issue is the longer-term continuity of funding beyond that date, not the elimination of these resources from the current year’s budget.

Our responsibility as a Board is to protect the educational programs and services our students depend on while ensuring that our decisions comply with the law and protect the district from unnecessary legal and financial risk.

We will continue working to understand the County’s concerns, explore our options, and advocate for the resources our students deserve. Our middle school students, teachers, and school communities deserve stability, and continued investment in arts, music, world languages, and teacher retention—and that work remains a priority for Oakland Unified.

Jennifer Brouhard is a retired OUSD educator and is the current OUSD School Board President representing District 2.