It is refreshing to see a leader like Vice-President Kamala Harris who understands the wide generational gap we have in our nation.
There will always be situations in which older and younger people maintain different perspectives on life and the nation’s future based on their experiences, opinions, habits, and behaviour.
Harris’s candidacy for president serves as a bridge between generations and has effectively found ways to close the gap in a relatively short time. Almost half of Gen Z (ages 16–27) respondents in a University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) study said they were not motivated to vote at all in the 2024 presidential election prior to Harris’s nomination. In addition, 29 per cent of Gen Z respondents who said they were not motivated to vote in the upcoming election before the change in the Democratic nominee say they are now motivated to vote for Harris.
The vice-president’s campaign has a notable social media presence. It is through this presence that she has successfully inspired undecided voters.
For young people interested in voting for Harris, her identity as a woman of colour was not a large motivating factor. Of Gen Z respondents, 82 per cent cited reasons other than Harris’s racial or gender identity when explaining their support for her. Some respondents agreed with her stance on the issues; they see her as an exciting candidate that gives hope, and some liked what they learned about her on social media.
Young people are distancing themselves from the political polarisation we’ve become accustomed to seeing during previous election cycles. Harris has shown a unique ability to assess different demographics’ true needs and concerns and then meet them at their point of need.
Like older generations before them, Gen Zers and millennials (ages 28–40) should have hope in the future as they pursue the “American dream”, thereby fostering a new wave of younger leaders who understand the challenges of their peers and can articulate them to the American people.
Harris’s ability to be flexible when dealing with various demographics while still being authentic is a character trait that draws the support of young people. President Joe Biden had the right message but was not the most effective messenger.
Harris is also unique because she is a graduate of a historically black college and university (HBCU). Just as she has found ways of successfully motivating and inspiring Gen Zers through social media, she can also connect with young black voters from HBCUs in ways other candidates cannot.
As a graduate of Howard University she understands the cultural significance behind the HBCU homecoming. Homecoming is a special time of the year for students and alums on HBCU campuses. If Harris becomes president of the United States, there will be a special sense of pride in having someone from Howard University hold the highest office in the nation. It is the type of pride shared with all HBCU students and alums, not just those from Howard. As a Norfolk State University graduate, I will also share in the proud moment of her election as well as the journey of her historic campaign.
The Harris-Tim Walz campaign will kick off an HBCU Homecoming Tour across the battleground states of North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, and Pennsylvania to reach black Gen Z voters. The tour will give special recognition to HBCUs.
David W Marshall, a columnist for the Trice Edney News Wire, founded the faith-based organisation TRB: The Reconciled Body and is author of the book God Bless Our Divided America.
