Kamala Harris skips speech as hopes dim

As the US presidential election results started trickling in, with trends projecting a second term for Donald Trump, the moods in the Democrat and Republican camps were contrasting. While Trump is heading to Florida to address his jubilant supporters, Kamala Harris has decided to skip her address at Howard University, her alma mater.

With projections showing Harris trailing, the mood among students, faculty, and alumni at Howard became sombre. The co-chair of Harris's campaign Cedric Richmond said the Vice President would not address her supporters tonight and is expected to speak on Thursday.

"You won't hear from the Vice President tonight. But you will hear from her tomorrow. Tomorrow, she will be back here to address not only the HQ family, not only to her supporters but to address the nation," Cedric Richmond said.

Howard University's gathering point was full of celebration as US media declared Harris the projected winner of Washington DC and Maryland. Thousands of students broke into dance as loud cheers rent the air. However, the mood started to change as Trump started to win the swing states.

Harris, who is of Indian-African descent, graduated from Howard University in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in political science and economics.