On Thursday, Feb. 23, a group of HBCU journalism students, myself included, gathered to question Vice President Kamala Harris and Senior Advisor Keisha Lance Bottoms at the old Executive Building on Capitol Hill.
Sitting there, shoulder to shoulder with a group of academic peers from across the country, all dressed in our most professional attire, we patiently but excitedly awaited the special guests. We talked amongst ourselves and previewed the room. There was a door that weighed open on the back wall right to and behind the stage where Bottoms and Harris would be sitting. It was the perfect entryway, and we knew she would be walking through there soon.
Bottoms began to make her introduction, and it was as though all the air was sucked out of the room. Everyone was taking a breath in and preparing themselves. As instructed, we all stood. Every eye and camera lens in the room was pointed at that door. Vice President Kamala Harris walked in smiling from ear to ear and greeted us all with a gentle “Hi” and a wave. Like children, all giddy and wide-eyed, everyone said “Hi,” back. I giggled awkwardly because all our minds went blank as we forgot what to do with ourselves.
Senior advisor Bottoms laughed and reminded us we could clap. The room roared with applause. “Hi everyone, oh I’m so happy, have a seat we’re going to have a conversation,” said Harris. As soon as Harris welcomed us all and encouraged us to sit down, the comfortability re-entered the room.
The top journalism students from HBCU’s across the country had been welcomed to “The People’s House,” Director of African American Media Erica P. Loewe called it, for an exclusive White House briefing.
The Biden Administration has been making strides to bridge the gap on educational equity for Black Americans since 2021. In that effort, the White House invited student representatives from over 40 Historically Black institutions to DC to attend a student journalist briefing with Senior Advisor to the President for Public Engagement Keisha Lance Bottoms and Vice President Kamala Harris, both influential black women in the White House.
I wondered how I ended up here. No more than forty-eight hours ago I was back in my dorm in Langston, Oklahoma, trying to catch up on sleep before having to work on assignments I was falling behind on. Then after a single phone call, I was suddenly being flown to DC.
It was no easy feat. Langston administration declined to pay travel, so professors and advisors pooled their own money together to make sure a Langston student was in attendance at the White House. This felt to me like the embodiment of the heart and soul of HBCUs.
We only had an hour for the briefing, so each student anxiously waited and hoped they would be picked next to ask a question of Lance Bottoms or Harris. Question topics ranged from student debt relief and school funding to state policy and racial inequalities in the impact of climate change. Harris and Lance Bottoms came ready with answers.
“So all of those issues are issues that are relevant to how we should be thinking about equity, climate, climate justice, environmental justice, but also I urge you guys as write and think about the future and how you’re going to leapfrog into your role of leadership. Really do start to take a look at what we are creating around a new economy, which is a clean energy economy,” Harris said.
“And by the way communications major, we’re going to need you to know how to talk about this issue, we’re going to need you to help us articulate why we need to put resources into the things that we just discussed.”
Harris was eager to encourage the next generation of HBCU students to embed themselves in positions of leadership and to use that power to help advance equity endeavors within the black community and historically black institutions.
After Harris made her final statements and proceeded to exit, Lance Bottoms stayed and answered two more questions. I thought it was over and that out of the 40+ attendees there was no chance I would be called. But I watched as she read off her white binder and asked for the representative from Langston University.
I stood calmly and turned to be passed the microphone. “…I hope you don’t mind me asking a more personal question for all of us wanting to be in journalism and communications. Following a very right-leaning and intense presidency previously, as a black woman… how did you make your presence known and respected after a difficult four years for people… not on that side per say?”
Bottoms replied with a remark often said by her mother, “You only have to tell the truth once, so the truth is the truth, and it doesn’t matter who’s pushing against that… stand in your truth and it doesn’t mean that its always going to be easy, it doesn’t mean that the bullies are not going to come, but you know, bullies fall real easily too… don’t let that deter you.”
After the briefing was over, everyone walked back to the White House briefing room, and I could feel the newfound excitement in the air. As HBCU students do, everyone had networked and befriended one another earlier while still getting checked by security. All headed to the North Gate feeling accomplished, then stopped for a moment to help each other finish interviews and video package clips. Within hours the representatives were posting videos, pictures, and fully written articles on social media and in their university publications, the future of mass communications and journalism held in their capable, strong-willed hands.
Story ideas, opinion editorials, calendar events and advertising requests can be sent to dthom34@langston.edu. You may follow The Gazetteon Instagram @lu_gazette.
The Gazette serves as the student voice of Langston University. It is produced within the Department of Communication as a teaching tool and local news source for the campus community. The views and opinions expressed within are those of the writers whose names appear with the articles and do not necessarily represent the views of Langston University.
