On Nov. 20, Stacey Abrams, Howard University’s inaugural Ronald W. Walters Endowed Chair for Race and Black Politics, captivated an audience of students in Douglass Hall with a post-election dialogue centered on the future of political engagement following the 2024 presidential election.
Conversations That Matter
Abrams, known for her tireless advocacy and political acumen, encouraged students to process their feelings about the recent election while contemplating their roles in shaping U.S. democracy. “I am someone who believes in this country’s capacity for more, even though we’ve had some trouble manifesting what it should be,” she remarked. “The conversation I wanted to invite today is really about not just what happened with the election…but I also want to talk about what our opportunities are, what are our obligations, and what our presence in this country requires of us.”
During the event, student inquiries ranged from the impact of misinformation in politics to discussions on secularism and its implications for governance. Abrams warned against the rise of religious nationalism, highlighting attempts to intertwine Christianity with state identity. “It’s the intent to shift America from its constitutional responsibility of not having established religion to not only making Christianity the central pillar [of American government], but make evangelical Christianity the metric for which everything is judged,” she explained.
Addressing issues particularly relevant to Black women, Abrams acknowledged the emotional toll of political engagement and the exhaustion felt by those who supported Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign. “You can tag out for a minute, but you’re not allowed to leave the arena,” Abrams urged, emphasizing the necessity of solidarity within marginalized groups.
Sticking Together and Being Proactive
She also emphasized the importance of coalition-building and understanding shared objectives while respecting individual experiences, stating, “ Our conversation has to be that shared destiny requires shared investment.”
Concluding her talk, Abrams inspired students to take action: “Your obligation after you leave this room is to pick one thing and spend the next year talking about it, writing a blog, doing a YouTube channel. Your second job is to find an organization – big, small, be it virtual or in person – you need to commit an hour doing something for that organization. The third thing…is start going to city council meetings and county commission meetings.”