Image: Julia Beverly/Getty Images

By: Freddrell Green, Staff Writer

As the Democratic National Convention approaches, all eyes are  on vice president Kamala Harris, who is on track to potentially be the first ever black woman to become President of the United States. 

The excitement and anticipation surrounding her campaign was noticeable at her recent rally in Atlanta,GA where Morehouse alumnus Tyler Greene, ‘24, delivered an inspiring introduction at the Georgia State Convocation Center on July 30.

Greene’s opportunity to speak at the rally was two years in the making. After being invited to the White House to speak on environmental justice and entrepreneurship in 2022 and 2023 respectively, the senior campaign advisor of the Harris Campaign, Jalisa Washington Price, invited Greene to introduce Vice President Kamala Harris at the recent campaign event in Atlanta.

Leading up to his call to the stage, Greene was initially unsure of his ability to speak in front of a crowd of 10,000 people. It was reassurance from Spelman alumna, Stacey Abrams that enabled him to continue on towards a stellar display of public speaking.

“It was right after that moment where I asked myself, ‘Am I nervous?’, and I said ‘No,’” Greene said. “We are the vessels through which messages are imparted. And that’s how I’m able to ground myself in moments where you can feel like there’s so much pressure,” he said.

Greene’s background in entrepreneurship was the primary connection that led to his political engagement.

Born and raised in a family of Caribbean immigrants, Greene and his family engaged in commercial endeavors such as selling Caribbean food, water and electronics just to get by.

“While other demographics of our population were enjoying and celebrating, we were trying to turn a case of water that we bought for a few dollars into $40 or $50 dollars a pop,” Greene said.

Greene has bolstered his efforts by launching a software company, working as a cybersecurity consultant, and eventually starting another venture called Covid Classroom, a platform that allowed for students to connect during the COVID-19 pandemic, right when he began his studies at Morehouse in 2020.

He followed up on his track record of academic success with numerous high-performing pitch competitions, collaboration with the United States Department of Energy, and a full-ride education in the form of the Michael L. Lomax Student Success Scholarship.

“As soon as I got to Morehouse, I became much more of someone who is not just service oriented, but oriented towards taking up leadership within being of service,” Greene said. “I was molded by my professors, by my brothers, to have a different perspective on how to solve problems and attain a different perspective on what wealth means,” he said.

As a staunch supporter of the Vice President Harris, one of the key issues Greene has been honing in on is the cost of insulin, an issue that hits close to home for him and his mother.

“My mother is a type one diabetic. And I grew up having to take care of my mother,” Greene said. “Every single month, she has to buy insulin that keeps her alive,” he said.

Capping the cost of insulin allowed for an easier path to securing Greene’s mother’s health care.

As the race for the Presidential Election continues, more and more support for Harris is pouring in from various predominantly Black institutions such as Historically Black Colleges and the Divine Nine. Seeing this outburst of support gives Greene hope for the future of the Black community.

“I just love to see when we can actually set aside the nuances of what Blackness means and understand what is at stake and fight against the things that are going to reduce our ability to attain the semblance of freedom,” Greene said.

Copy Edited by Bradley Morrison, News & Politics Editor and Elijah Meggison, Managing Editor of Print