Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, delivers remarks at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s 47th Annual Leadership Conference at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on September 18, 2024, in Washington, D.C. | Source: Kevin Dietsch / Getty
Dozens of football legends from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) banded together to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris‘ presidential candidacy by releasing a public letter pledging their support on Friday, which also marks National Black Voter Registration Day.
“Given [Vice President Harris’] integrity, values and demonstrated commitment to justice and equality of opportunity, we are confident that as president she will serve the best interests of all Americans,” the letter, signed by 52 people who starred in various football capacities spanning 25 HBCUs, said in part of the letter that CBS News obtained.
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Among the letters signees are people like pro football Hall of Famers, Super Bowl champions and MVPs, former no.1 overall picks and those who broke the color barrier in the NFL. They include but are surely not limited to the legendary likes of Tennessee State University alumni Ed “Too Tall” Jones, who was the no.1 overall pick in the 1974 NFL Draft; Charlie Neal, the legendary HBCU sportscaster; and Art Shell, the first Back head coach in the NFL who also graduated from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, an HBCU.
The timing of the letter is also important because it was made public on National Black Voter Registration Day, which comes at a time when Black voter registration rates have been surging.
National voter registration data released late last month provided the latest evidence that Harris‘ historic candidacy has particularly inspired Black voters to participate in the upcoming election at unprecedented levels in 13 states seen as highly consequential to the 2024 election.
Among all voters in those states, the voter registration rate for Black women is up more than 175% compared to the same period in 2020, data firm Target Smart found in its analysis. That’s nearly triple what it was four years ago.
The rate of voter registrations for Black women of all ages has skyrocketed by more than 98% and by more than 85% among all Black voters.
The letter also came one day after the conclusion of the Annual National HBCU Week Conference in Philadelphia.
The renewed support from HBCU football legends can only help the focus that Democrats have placed on young Black voters this election season.
Brencia Berry, political director for the Democratic National Committee, told NewsOne at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last month that one of the Harris campaign’s main objectives is to make sure it’s “showing up in those spaces that are culturally relevant to young voters.”
Harris, herself an HBCU alum, previously explained how important historically Black colleges are.
“As a proud graduate of Howard University, I know firsthand that our HBCUs are centers of academic excellence. For generations, these anchors of our communities have played a pivotal role in building and contributing to America’s leadership at home and abroad,” Harris said in a statement in May. “Today, graduates from our Nation’s more than 100 HBCUs are in every room where important decisions are made – leading in our schools, hospitals, courtrooms, boardrooms, and at the highest levels of government. And as we look forward, we know that our HBCUs will continue to prepare young leaders to build a better, more just future for our country and the world.”
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