A marching band participates in the 2024 Howard University Homecoming Parade in Washington, DC, on October 19, 2024. The cutthroat US presidential election is likely to be won on the thinnest of margins, and polls showing gains by Republican Donald Trump among traditionally Democratic Black voters, particularly men, have made headlines. So, Harris will be counting on the enthusiasm of Black voters at cultural lynchpins like Howard -- one of a network of HBCUs, or historically black colleges and universities, that emerged during the decades of racial segregation and continue to exert powerful influence. (Photo by Becca MILFELD / AFP) (Photo by BECCA MILFELD/AFP via Getty Images)