Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks to members of the media at her alma mater, Howard University, Monday, Jan. 21, 2019 in Washington.

Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP Photo

Updated 8:06 p.m.

After months of speculation, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced that California Sen. Kamala Harris is his vice-presidential pick on Tuesday.

The president of her D.C. alma mater, Howard University, quickly voiced his pride.

“Today is an extraordinary moment in the history of America and of Howard University. Senator Kamala Harris’ selection as the Democratic vice presidential candidate represents a milestone opportunity for our democracy to acknowledge the leadership Black women have always exhibited, but has too often been ignored,” president Wayne Frederick said in a statement.

He went on, “We are proud to call Howard University alumna Kamala Harris a member of our HU family. As Senator Harris embarks upon this new chapter in her life, and in our country’s history, she is poised to break two glass ceilings in our society with one fell swoop of her Howard hammer! The HBCU community and I will be watching.”

Harris, who previously ran against Biden in the Democratic primary, will be the first Black woman and the first person of Indian descent to be nominated for national office by a major political party.

Mayor Muriel Bowser congratulated Harris on Twitter with a picture of the senator at Black Lives Matter Plaza.

At a press conference on Tuesday, President Trump said he was surprised that Biden picked Harris as his prospective vice president, citing what he said was her poor performance during the primary election.

Chairman of Virginia’s Republican Party Jack Wilson said Biden’s decision to appoint Harris as his vice president goes against calls to end partisanship and divisiveness and that she “exemplifies the worst parts of the Democratic Party,” according to a statement.

“The Republican Party of Virginia looks forward to clearly exposing the differences between the radical agenda of Biden-Harris and the forward-thinking, America first agenda of Trump-Pence,” he added.

Harris graduated from Howard in 1986 and discussed her time there often during her own presidential bid.

“When you’re at an HBCU,” Harris told the Washington Post last September, “and especially one with the size and with the history of Howard University — and also in the context of also being in D.C., which was known forever as being ‘Chocolate City’ — it just becomes about you understanding that there is a whole world of people who are like you. It’s not just about there are a few of us who may find each other.”

This story will be updated.

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