Howard influencers are stepping into the spotlight and navigating the landscape of political engagement while trying to uphold the university’s non-partisan guidelines.
Some students, faculty and alumni are continuing to use their platforms to make their voices heard.
Among the Howard community, some social media influencers are using digital media to spread their political knowledge and resources.
Lily Hardman, a sophomore finance major from Stamford, Connecticut, and a lifestyle social media influencer expressed what it’s like partaking in this dual role.
“I consider myself an influencer,” she said, defining her impact as rooted in authenticity. “The most important thing to me is remaining genuine with my audience.”
Hardman emphasized the significance of using her platform to advocate for issues that resonate with her community, especially this past election season.
“You have to stand up for what you believe in,” she said.
Hardman addressed not just the election but the broader implications of political engagement in her content.
“One of my favorite quotes is, ‘Vote like your parents are immigrants. Your mom needs health care. Your sister is gay. Your brother is disabled,’” she said.
Hardman said that quotes like those serve as reminders.
“‘Why does my one vote matter?’ But so many of your friends do need it, and so many of your loved ones need it,” she said.
At Howard, the Office of General Council released a statement in August, encouraging commitment to maintaining non-partisanship within its community.
It stated, “avoid any inadvertent attribution of political campaign activity to the university” However, many members of the community continued to stay involved in the election process.
Chase Hope, a sophomore marketing major from Atlanta who specializes in fashion, beauty and lifestyle content, shared her disdain in being made aware of Howard’s non-partisan stipulations by virtue of a staff member who was hesitant to aid her in printing an absentee ballot request in the school of business.
“It was just shocking to know that teachers and our administration, as a whole, aren’t allowed to promote someone who’s an alum here of the school,” she said.
Hope remained unaffected by this implied censorship, noting that she never tries to be neutral on social media as she values the authenticity on which her platform was built.
She also acknowledged that some Howard stakeholders may not have this same luxury of candor once they associate themselves with the university.
“The staff might have more of an obligation because of the fact that they work for Howard and they are paid by Howard. However, I pay Howard so I can say what I want and I plan to always stand on what I believe,” she said.
She continued to assert that while she attached herself to some political issues, she has a duty to her morals, which have obligated her to “at least be respectful” in stating her opinions.
As an adherent of the Black Lives Matter movement, Hope also emphasized promoting political issues responsibly.
“I try to repost creators whose niche is politics, so that way I can tell that these people are well informed,” Hope said.
Hope continues to share political content from creators like Dean Withers and Garrison Hayes, and platforms like the Courier Newsroom and Kamala HQ, citing these sources as “politically correct,” while urging Howard influencers to exercise this level of diligence.
Pierre Papillon, a junior advertising major from Chicago, shared his views on this past election cycle.
“The fact that we’re using social media and influencers to persuade voters is a crazy thing to see,” he said.
Papillon described his content as primarily focused on fashion, but he sees the importance of political engagement.
“I wouldn’t say the non-partisan guidelines have directly affected how I encourage my followers to vote,” he said. “I’ve been reposting things and encouraging participation in rallies without leveraging Howard’s name directly.”
He emphasized that while his primary focus is fashion, he still values the political discourse that can arise within his platform.
Jayden Salem, a junior television and film major from Baltimore shared a different perspective.
He focuses on comedy and has amassed a following of over 1.3 million on TikTok as of November 2024.
“I specifically have decided to not dabble in political matters,” he said. “Political things are very important to certain people, and if I were to take a side, it would divide my audience and mess up my money. This isn’t just something I do for fun, it’s my real job.”
He said he noticed a collective effort among his peers to support Vice President Harris, expressing joy at the visible passion for voting in the Howard community.
Despite this enthusiasm, Salem remained cautious about expressing political views, highlighting that any message he shared would need to focus solely on encouraging his audience’s participation in the electoral process without endorsing a specific candidate.
Sommer Hill, a digital media literacy professor at Howard and senior social media associate at NPR discussed the role of influencers during this most recent presidential election season.
Hill emphasized that Howard influencers have a responsibility to maintain accuracy and integrity when sharing political information.
“As a student of Howard University and an influencer, it is merely our duty to share the facts,” Hill said.
She went on to explain the importance of maintaining credibility. “If you stick to the side of the truth, you both accomplish the mission of sharing necessary information and also remain a credible source,” she said.
Hill believes that influencers must separate their emotions to maintain objectivity.
“Use your emotions to motivate you to cover the subject and speak to as many people as you can, and present just that,” she said.
She acknowledged the challenges that come with navigating “the overwhelming flow” of information on social media, particularly the rise of misinformation.
“The hard part is discerning the true information from the fake,” Hill said. “It is on us to do our due diligence to research and confirm the truth.”
Hill said Howard holds a unique position of trust and influence.
“Howard is the mecca and a place where many people turn to as sources of information,” she said.
In her view, Howard is an institution that commands respect and trust. She states, “To maintain this level of excellence and credibility, influencers at Howard must engage in thorough research, remain objective, consult multiple sources and present accurate, fact-based information.”
