PHILADELPHIA–– A group of spring ‘86 Divine Nine pledges from Howard climbed the steps of a bus in Bowie, Maryland early on Oct. 5, outfitted in Howard paraphernalia. They exchanged tight embraces as they settled in for a ride to a 2024 presidential election swing state: Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania has more political strength than any other battleground state with 19 electoral votes and a 29% chance of tipping the election in either direction, according to Forbes. With less than a month left until Election Day, organizers are racing against the clock to keep the state that President Joe Biden won, blue.
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are vying to win over Pennsylvania constituents. According to ABC News, Harris is leading in the polls in the state by 0.8 percent as of Oct. 10. Squad Up Pink Bison, a group formed in 2019 by Harris’ Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. line sisters, is determined to sway the politically undecided by canvassing.
“All of this came together naturally since we have known each other for so long,” Valerie Williams-Bose, Harris’ line sister and graduate of 1988, said.
Freedom Rides first began in 1961 by the civil rights organization, Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), after the Supreme Court ruled that segregation on interstate transport facilities was unconstitutional. CORE organized multiple trips to spread the word and have the ruling enforced in southern states.
Williams-Bose sported a pink “Harris-Walz” camo print hat. She said when Kamala began her presidential bid, her line sisters wanted to make a difference.
“We decided to get a bus and encourage our line sisters across the country to go to their nearest swing states to rally and eventually, we expanded to include college students in our efforts,” Williams-Bose said.
Exiting highway US-1 N towards Germantown, the political divisiveness became strikingly clear. Billboards lined the highway declaring “Trump: The Trusted Leader” are positioned directly in front of ones with Harris’ face promising a country where everyone matters regardless of background.
A Howard alumna knocks on a resident’s door. (Keith Golden Jr./The Hilltop) 
Student placing a campaign card in the door in Philadelphia on Oct. 5 (Keith Golden Jr/The Hilltop) 
Students and alumni walking from residence to residence in Philadelphia on Oct. 5 (Keith Golden Jr/The Hilltop) 
Howard alumna crowd in the park (Keith Golden Jr./The Hilltop)
The canvassers assembled at Vernon Park, where they were greeted by members of the Working Families Party—a progressive minor political party that declared their endorsement of Kamala four days after her announcement. The Korean Broadcasting Service and NBC News were also present ready to capture the day’s events.
Canvassers getting ready to walk the streets at Vernon Park, PA on Oct. 5 (Keith Golden Jr/The Hilltop)
The Pennsylvania chapter of the party welcomed the Howard cohort after their three-hour bus ride with hot coffee and donuts. The time allowed Howard students and alumni to connect before the program began.
Councilwoman minority leader at large and candidate of the Working Families Party, Kendra Brooks, stood on a park bench and fought back tears while she addressed the small crowd.
“All the work that I have done and the work people have done to get me elected, whether it’s around workers rights, healthcare, or reproductive justice in this city is on the line. It is all hands on deck to make sure we get out and vote. This is not the time to fuss about differences, right now we need to come together to protect all of us,” she said.
Harris’ sorority sister and 1981 graduate Camille Moore, scurried through the park in pink and green to each Howard student, urging them to take heed to the words of Councilwoman Brooks.
“Pay attention to the world that’s happening right now. You are the future. You have to put a stop to this political madness decisively enough so that no one gets the idea to come back and try again,” Moore said.
The crowd splintered off into smaller groups and marched down the streets of Germantown, a historically diverse suburb of northwest Philadelphia that now boasts a majority black population.
Germantown is nestled on a hill away from the main roads of Philadelphia. Its properties have yards decorated with signs displaying their owners’ political positions. Most homes and apartment windows had a blue and red Harris-Walz sign plastered in it placed right next to ones supporting left-leaning causes, such as the freedom of Palestine or abortion rights
Kuae Noel Kelch, line sister of Kamala Harris and graduate of 1987, firmly knocks and waits at each door in her pink and green “Vote” shirt talking to residents and leaving pamphlets with voting information.
“It’s a completely surreal feeling. I keep going back to when we were on campus at 19, 20, 21 having no idea what was to come in the future. [Kamala] stands on the shoulders of our ancestors who we know fought for our opportunities and we arrived at Howard’s campus ready to get to business,” Kelch recalled.
Dylan Hurley, a junior advertising major from Springfield, Virginia and the niece of William-Bose shared that this was her first time canvassing. As she strolled down the tree-lined streets of Morris Street in her navy blue “Howard” sweater, she stopped to acknowledge the moment in history.
“This will be my first time voting in a presidential election. I feel like it is very important to do our job to turn Pennsylvania into a blue state and I’m excited to bring knowledge to such a monumental election,” she said.
As the day came to a close and the journey back to Bowie began, the group settled into an easy silence after a full day. Organizer and line sister to Harris, Karen Hayes, closed out the day over the bus intercom with the resounding message: “When we fight we win.”
Copy edited by Anijah Franklin
