Vice President Kamala Harris delivered her concession speech on the campus of her alma mater, Howard University. The speech, like the VP’s campaign, was short but rich in content and spoke to the weight of the moment.

Her campaign and her speech at the Harriet Tubman Quadrangle, held many nuggets of wisdom for students and those of us in the broader community. 

Let me make three points about what we can take from VP Harris’s example.

HBCU campuses continue to play a role in the American experiment. 

These campuses continue to be a source of immense talent for America. From their founding, they have helped to shape great DO’ers in every corner of American life. From lunch counter sit-in protesters during segregation, boycotters and marchers to political leaders and activists, there is no shortage of Americans who have been poured into by HBCUs, and prepared for their moments of great moral leadership – helping shape the fabric of American political discourse. 

Graduates from HBCUs continue to move their industries forward and, in the case of VP Harris, their country forward. Choosing to host her concession speech at Howard, has further elevated the consciousness and awareness of yet another generation of HBCU students across the HBCU community.

When you have done good work, hold your head high. 

It’s been my experience that some people with political power and status are reliably fickle. Some people revel in the excitement of their big moments and live for and succumb to the adoration. They confuse celebrity with the call to serve. Others aspire to use their spotlights to bring relief, to shepherd change, illuminate inequities and gather resources to help others. In a moment like this, Harris could have succumbed to sound bites, lost herself or gotten carried away. From my perspective, it’s clear that Vice President Harris remained who she is for all 107 days of her campaign – a hard worker and thinker with clear values. Harris rose to the moment while keeping the personal values that drove her campaign in tact. 

She has inspired a new generation of leaders by showing that we don’t have to prostrate ourselves on the whims of the times to do good work. At the end of the day, the reality is, when we face setbacks even after incredible amounts of work, we have to continue to hold our heads high despite the challenge. We have to let our values be our lifeboat.

Follow VP Harris’s example and choose how you want to show up in the world. It won’t please everyone, but hold your head high and let others do the name calling. 

Pay it forward, always. 

Even in her concession speech, Vice President Harris found the time to encourage. Indeed, not everyone is capable of positive encouragement. Some so-called leaders just can’t take their eyes off themselves long enough to do it. Other leaders take their eyes off themselves long enough to encourage through fear. To a sea of disappointed well-wishers on the campus of Howard University, she reassured the next generation of leaders:

“You have power. You have power. And don't you ever listen when anyone tells you something is impossible because it has never been done before.

You have the capacity to do extraordinary good in the world.”- VP Kamala Harris

A personal note from those of us who have dedicated countless hours to guiding, coaching and encouraging others to do more than they thought possible — we thank Vice President Harris. I say it all the time – it’s not about what we want to BE in terms of job titles, instead it’s about what we want to DO with our lives. Yes, her job title won’t be President of the United States, but her concession speech showed what she has wanted to DO with her life. Whether she is called Prosecutor, Attorney General, Senator or Vice President of the United States, her DOing is always about service. 

There is no doubt that some of that commitment to service was inspired on that same storied campus of Howard University. 

Her legacy as a 2024 presidential candidate will forever be tied to Howard University, where the HBCU traditions of excellence and HBCU legacies live in the DOing and the stepping up.