Photo by Laura Nwogu/The Atlanta VoiceBlue is one of Spelman College’s school colors, but it was also a clear indication of where the Atlanta HBCU stood on election night. On Tuesday night, Spelman hosted an election night watch party at the Manley College Student Center. Jeezy’s “My President” played on overhead speakers as students, alumni, and faculty wearing Spelman sweatshirts and T-shirts that said “Spelman voted, hands raised, voices heard” trickled into the space. For many college-aged students across the U.S., this was their first time casting their ballots in a presidential election. When interim president Rosalind “Roz” Brewer asked how many were first-time voters, almost half of the audience raised their hands. Excited. Nervous. Hopeful. It was some of the feelings students expressed they were feeling as the polls began to close. Makhi Frimpong (above), a junior at Spelman College, said she felt anxious about voting absentee for her first election. Photo by Laura Nwogu/The Atlanta VoiceMakhi Frimpong, a junior at Spelman College, said she felt anxious about voting absentee for her first election, but when she got the confirmation that her ballot was accepted, she felt elated. For her, voting for Vice President Kamala Harris was a no-brainer. “As an HBCU student and a woman, there was no other choice. I want to vote for someone who looks like me and will represent me in roles that I’m not in, so that’s who I’m rooting for tonight. I hope that we’ll have a favorable result, but I think it’s just been awe-inspiring to have an HBCU woman on the ballot anyway.”As the night went on, students kept their energies high as V-103’s Greg Street spun tunes that brought out plenty of dancing while TVs in the background played news projections of the polls. When states such as Massachusetts, Maryland, and D.C. were called early in the night for Harris, the room erupted into applause. Dorita Treadwell was dressed for the occasion. Photo by Laura Nwogu/The Atlanta Voice But reality began to seep into the room as the race for the White House saw Trump’s electoral vote count shoot up past Harris’. However, Brewer cautioned students that results could take longer than the night to be concluded. In 2020, the presidential election wasn’t called until the Saturday morning after election night. “This is history in the making, and it’s really a shift. Regardless of what happens at the close of this entire process, we’ll be a different country. We’ll be better for this process; I feel very strong about that,” Brewer said. “The other thing is, I’m just very honored to be able to spend this with my Spelman sisters, and I can’t tell you how good that makes me feel. I’m proud of you young women because I see something in all of you all as I’ve been walking around campus the last two weeks… let’s stay steadfast.”Bernice King, daughter of civil rights icon Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., also took to the podium around 10 p.m. to keep students from feeling discouraged. She recounted stories of her father and his fight during the Civil Rights Movement and reminded students that although the struggle is a never-ending process, they must keep moving forward.“Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it in every generation, and your generation has been stepping up to the plate. You don’t need to discount that. You need to applaud that you just participated in your lifetime in one of, if not the most historic presidential election. So please don’t give up hope, but know that regardless of what happens, we still have work to do.Photo by Laura Nwogu/The Atlanta Voice“We continue to move forward knowing that the blood of our ancestors is in us. So if they can do it, we can do it too. That’s why they were singing ‘We Shall Overcome.’ It wasn’t just a song. It was because they had seen what Harry Tubman had done. They saw what Mary McLeod Bethune had done. They saw what Sojourner Truth had done. They saw what Phillis Wheatley had done. They saw what Dorothy Height had done, and so we, too, will overcome. God bless you.”The post ‘Don’t Give Up Hope’: Spelman College Hosts Election Night Watch Party  appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.