FAMU gets a visit from HBCU Vote Tour, expects a future stop from Harris-Walz campaign

Florida A&M University's campus was the last stop on an organization's college tour Friday with one main objective – encouraging young, Black students to vote.

NMAC – formerly known as the National Minority AIDS Council, a community-based organization that fights for health equity – went on a "Get Out the Vote HBCU Liberation Tour" to visit historically Black colleges and universities in southern cities ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election .

While FAMU's Set Friday was in full effect, the Washington, D.C., headquartered organization's table in front of the H. Manning Efferson Student Union building attracted a steady stream of students as they stopped by to get help with requesting an absentee ballot if needed and to play trivia for goodies.

"I came up with this initiative after noticing how a lot of younger people were not interested in the election," NMAC Program Coordinator Destiny Pearson, a recent Florida International University graduate, told the Tallahassee Democrat. "This was in the beginning of the year before Kamala came in the race."

Other FAMU news: Can a FAMU student bring a College Republicans chapter back to campus? Charrise Lane might

While Vice President Kamala Harris is running as the Democratic presidential candidate along with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her vice president nominee, former President Donald Trump is the Republican presidential candidate with Ohio Sen. JD Vance by his side as the GOP nominee for vice president.

"There's about 40 million Gen Z-ers eligible to vote across the country, and almost 50% of them are people of color," Pearson said. "That's why I think it's so important for young people of color to show up and vote. It's really important to participate in these elections for ourselves, the community and the future."

Before stopping at FAMU, the organization's tour began in early September and included eight other HBCUs – Howard University, Xavier University, Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, Morris Brown College, Fisk University and North Carolina A&T State University.

Will a Harris-Walz Campaign tour stop at FAMU, too? The answer is yes.

As efforts are being made to encourage young, Black people to vote, the Harris-Walz campaign's "HBCU Homecoming Tour" also is expected to make a stop at FAMU soon.

"I can confirm it is happening, but no additional details yet," Jossie Barroso, a Harris-Walz campaign spokesperson, told the Democrat in a text message Friday afternoon. She was unable to confirm whether Harris or Walz will be physically present during the future FAMU visit.

FAMU's annual Homecoming Week is set to take place from Oct. 27 to Nov. 3 with the theme "Remember the Times."

The Harris-Walz campaign kicked off the HBCU homecoming tour Sept. 28 at Winston Salem State University, but there is no indication on whether Harris or Walz appeared. While the dates for FAMU and other college campuses are pending, here are the other HBCUs expecting a stop:

• Oct. 12 – Lincoln University

• Oct. 12 – Virginia State University

• Oct. 19 –  Howard University

• Oct. 19 – North Carolina A&T State University

• Oct. 19 – Clark Atlanta University

• Oct. 26 – Morehouse College

• Oct. 26 – Spelman College

'This election, the votes really matter'

Besides the overall goal of getting young, Black students registered to vote during the tour, NMAC encouraged students to make their voices heard on critical health, well-being and human rights issues as the organization places a focus on fighting for health equity and racial justice within communities of color to work toward ending the HIV epidemic in America.

"The biggest thing that's going to help end the HIV epidemic is making sure people vote for candidates who believe in healthcare affordability and access for all," Pearson said. "That's super, super crucial."

Danae Turner, a FAMU junior majoring in nursing, is one of over 100 students who stopped at NMAC's table Friday during the university's weekly Set Friday event. She says she plans on voting.

"One of the issues I'm concerned about the most is healthcare access because not everyone has the money to afford healthcare, which is already expensive," said Turner, 20. "This election, the votes really matter."

Another FAMU student, second-year supply chain management major Vanique McGriff, says this year's presidential election will mark her first time voting.

"By voting, we can help put someone in office who is going to address things such as health issues," said McGriff, 18, a Tallahassee native. "If we want change, voting is a way to initiate that change."

Contact Tarah Jean at  tjean@tallahassee.com  or follow her on X:  @tarahjean_ .

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: HBCU vote tour stops at FAMU to encourage young, Black students