On Nov. 5, we must âbe aboutâ voting â especially young people
By Dr. Frances âToniâ Draper The lyrics of an old Negro Spiritual poignantly declare, âEverybody talkinâ âbout Heaven ainât goinâ there.â Unfortunately, in 2024, despite all the discussion and debate about the presidential election, everybody talking about voting ainât going there, either. Itâs one thing to talk about the importance of this yearâs presidential election, with Vice President Kamala Harris poised to become the first woman of color to hold the highest office in the land. Itâs one thing to talk about the need to register and vote, but itâs another thing to actually register and then go to the
Obama to hit the campaign trail for Harris in battleground states
By Kierra Frasier Kamala Harris was among Barack Obamaâs earliest supporters in 2008, knocking on doors and raising money to help propel him to a two-term presidency. Now, heâs returning the favor. The former president will appear Thursday at an event in the Pittsburgh area, the start of what will be part of a swing-state âblitzâ through Election Day, said a senior campaign official, granted anonymity to discuss the schedule ahead of the announcement. Obamaâs role may have been expected after his glowing remarks about her at this summerâs Democratic National Convention. âKamala Harris is ready for the job,â he
Harris consoles those devastated by Helene in Georgia â a contrast with Trumpâs visit
By Megan Messerly Kamala Harris, surveying the wreckage of Hurricane Helene in a swing state on Wednesday, offered a glimpse of how she might fulfill the role of consoler-in-chief. Against a backdrop of felled trees in Augusta, Georgia, the vice president telegraphed solidarity as she spoke about the assistance the administration is providing to communities devastated by the severe weather that tore through the southeastern United States last weekend. She thanked local emergency responders for stepping up, even as their homes and communities have been destroyed. The Democratic nomineeâs approach offered a stark contrast to the overtly political posture Donald Trump took
New Laws in 27 States Could Keep Students From Voting
By Johanna Alonso In the last presidential election, an out-of-state student going to college in Ohio wouldnât have to do much to vote in the state beyond registering and bringing proof of residenceâa bank statement, a utility bill or even a paycheck listing their Ohio addressâto the polls. Some campuses ran buses all day to take students to voting places, making it considerably more comfortable than walking through the November cold. This year, things will be drastically different. Thanks to a 2023 law, the Republican-sponsored HB 458, Ohioâs out-of-state students can no longer use those documents to prove their residency for
Harrisâs Candidacy Has Fired Up HBCU Students. Will the Enthusiasm Turn Into Votes?
By Sara Weissman Last week, Tevon Blair went to Yard Festâa celebratory event for freshmen at Virginia State Universityâarmed with a tent, a table, a photo booth and games like Jenga and Connect Four. He wanted to create what felt like a block party, in hopes of energizing and informing students at the historically Black university about the voting process. University cheerleaders performed. Members of the Divine Nineâhistorically Black fraternities and sororitiesâdid signature step routines. Thousands of students turned up, according to Blair, and at least 77 registered to vote. A few dozen students even stuck around for a panel
Trump brings Hurricane Helene into 2024 campaign
By Kimberly Leonard Former President Donald Trump is making Hurricane Helene into a campaign issue, planning a stop in storm-ravaged, battleground Georgia on Monday and criticizing the Biden administrationâs response with just weeks left until the November election. During a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, Trump accused President Joe Biden of âsleepingâ at his beach house in Delaware and dragged Vice President Kamala Harris for holding fundraising events in California over the weekend âwhen big parts of our country have been devastated by that massive hurricane.â At least 84 people have been killed from Hurricane Helene. The storm made
Harris-Walz Campaign kicks off HBCU Homecoming Tour to reach Black voters
By Jasmine Desme In an effort to reach more young Black voters ahead of election day, Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz have kicked off their Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Homecoming Tour. They’re targeting institutions in the key battleground states. With less than 40 days to go until the vote is in for the next President of the United States, Harris and Trump have been fighting fiercely to win over the undecided voters in the swing states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Nevada. Both candidates have recognized the key to winning the
Harris heads to Pittsburgh (again) to make a manufacturing pitch to voters
By  Deepa Shivaram and Alejandra Marquez Janse Vice President Harris gave the lengthiest economic speech of her campaign on Wednesday, describing what she called a âpragmaticâ vision that would work with the private sector to help grow opportunities for the middle class. In Pittsburgh â a city known for its steel industry in a state seen as key to the upcoming presidential election â Harris talked about plans to invest in new technologies like artificial intelligence and blockchain, as well as ideas to double the number of apprenticeships and reform tax laws to make it easier to create profit-sharing plans.
University of Maryland Eastern Shore Renews Scholarship Program for Wor-Wic Community College Students
Courtesy of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore The University of Maryland Eastern Shore, a historically Black institution, has recently renewed a scholarship program dedicated to students from Wor-Wic Community College in Salisbury, Maryland. The scholarship agreement aims to provide a financial incentive for Wor-Wic students to attend the HBCU upon completing their associateâs degree. As part of the agreement, the application fee is waived for all Wor-Wic students applying to UMES. For those students who are accepted to UMES, each will be provided with $3,500 annually to support their in-state tuition for up to six semesters of study at
Trump promises in Georgia speech to âtake other countriesâ jobsâ
By Irene Sentner, Politico Former President Donald Trump promised Tuesday that if elected, the U.S. will âtake other countriesâ jobs,â laying out a plan for a âmanufacturing renaissanceâ by offering âthe lowest taxes, the lowest energy costs [and] the lowest regulatory burdenâ to companies that manufacture products in the U.S. Speaking to a crowd in Savannah, Georgia, Trump previewed a sprawling manufacturing overhaul including special federal zones with âultra low taxes and regulations,â a âmanufacturing ambassadorâ tasked with convincing major manufacturers to move to America, and massive deregulation â all aimed at ârelocating entire industriesâ into the U.S. âYou will