When I learned that Vice President Kamala Harris would be setting up her election night headquarters at Howard University—her alma mater and mine—my emotions oscillated between pride and skepticism. One of us would come home to not only the greatest night of her life, but also one of the most transformative moments in American history.

But like most Howard Bison, I am aware that our list of notable alumni reads like a calling card for black American history, and I am aware that several presidents have spoken on the campus we affectionately call the Mecca. I am neither moved by symbolism for symbolism's sake nor easily starstruck. And in a race that has at times been about whether Harris has paid enough attention to the concerns of black voters, I was worried that she might telegraph that she would be at Howard to watch the election results – and, like her hopes that declaring victory will be seen as a publicity stunt or final act of bragging rights.

But I had to admit that Harris looking at the results at Howard is not only an authentic decision, but perhaps the only Selection. As she considers the resulting results, she will contrast the promise of American democracy with the achievements of the HBCUs that continue to produce our country's best leaders. But there is something else.

America is at a crossroads. On the one hand, there are those who would reserve power for a select few whose beliefs are based on exclusion and a focus on the past. Opposite them are those who see greater possibilities and want to create space for people who reflect what the nation looks like today.

The country was at a similar crossroads when Howard was founded in 1867. Would America keep its promise or stay true to the ways of its past?

While their graduates throughout the centuries have led the fight against the worst that America could dish out, they have nevertheless led the way with the belief that not only “America can be better,” but also, “I can do something about it.” As the nation wrestled with what to do after emancipation and the desirability of further development, Howard University, along with many other institutions of its kind, set higher standards for American democracy and believed in the ideals it promised.

This spirit of optimism and determination fueled many of the changemakers who helped to fertilize the soil in which Harris's flowers had already bloomed. Stokley Carmichael (Kwame Ture), Amiri Baraka, Vernon Jordan, Elaine Jones, Elijah Cummings, Thurgood Marshall and Shirley Franklin not only visited Howard, they left to Howard.

For Bison, the idea of ​​a Harris presidency would not simply represent the advancement of a single, exceptional graduate, but rather would exemplify the standard of excellence that emerges from the school's motto: “Veritas et Utilitas, Truth and Service.”

When history books are banned and women are stripped of their bodily autonomy, the idea that a woman of color could break the glass ceiling and become the leader of the free world is as bold as anything we can imagine.

The idea that our possibilities are infinite not only characterizes what our country could be, but is also unmistakably the mindset of a typical Howard Bison. Therefore, it is only fitting that Harris experience this most historic moment in a safe place where she is deeply rooted in the tradition of truth and service.

If you didn't know better, you could easily think it was a fantasy story or a scripted fairy tale. But don't be surprised if you find some Howard graduates who were taught that we can do anything and stay cool. If you ask why, you'll probably get a casual version of “It's a HU thing.” You wouldn’t understand.”