Howard University's "HU" - "You Know" Call & Response Chant Was Included In Representative Jasmine Crockett's Speech At The 2024 Democratic Convention

Reese Waters, August 20, 2024
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Read the transcript excerpt below for the portion of this video that includes the Howard University "HU" - "You know" chant and a little bit more of that speech (from 0:55 to 1:49).

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents an article excerpt about the Howard University call & response chant "HU"-"You know".

This post also showcases two videos that include that Howard University chant-one from Representative Jasmine Crocker and one from two Howard University alumni- an unidentified Black woman and actor Chadwick Bosman.

Additional examples of this Howard University call & response chant are also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, historical, and political purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post. Special thanks to Chadwick Boseman (RIP) and Representative Jasmine Crocket.

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This post is part of an ongoing pancocojams series on specific Historically Black Colleges And Universities. Click that tag below or google "specific Historically Black Colleges And  
Universities pancocojams" for additional posts in this series.

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INFORMATION ABOUT HOWARD UNIVERSITY'S "HU"- "YOU KNOW" CALL & RESPONSE CHANT 
From https://thedig.howard.edu/all-stories/the-history-of-h-u-you-know "HU Bison, Finish the Sentence: HHHH-U!" The origins of the beloved Howard University chant.

by Umarah Mughnee, Oct 7, 2022 

"A Howard University Bison can go to any city, globally, and instantly feel at home by simply knowing the response to the legendary chant, “HHHH-U!” When a fellow Bison, a perfect stranger, responds, “YOUUU KNOW!” it can feel like The Yard has come to the place where the chant was echoed and Founder’s Library and Douglas Hall are right where they need to be – even if the two Bison are just standing in an airport or on the street, far from Howard’s campus.

“It builds an instant connection, even if you’ve never met the person,” says Howard’s vice president of communications, Frank Tramble, who recently bellowed the response to an alum who was presenting at a conference in Park City, Utah, in front of a room of 200 puzzled people.

[...]

[from a video embedded in this article: The video's title is "Taraji P. Henson delivers the "HU! You Know!" call at commencement in 2022". 

[1:53:24 in that video:]

[actress Tariji P.Henson speaks]

“Y’all ready to go viral?

 "H U!"

 [Attendees- "You Know"]
-Pancocojams Editor: This is the end of that quote from that embedded video. The article continues...

The powerful call-and-response has the potential to build an instant bond between two Bison. Moreover, it makes one wonder, how did this chant gain so much notoriety?

Paul Cotton (PhD ’99) was deemed Howard’s historian by the community and explains how the chant came about. The late-great public announcer, Shellie Bowers, started the phrase at a Howard University football game. In fact, when the crowd first heard the chant, many were displeased by the change.

“Shellie first did, ‘First in ten, Go BI-SON,’ and that was his first widely accepted chant,” Cotton explains. “And I remember when he first started doing ‘HU! You Know!’ many alum were annoyed.”

Even though the chant wasn’t quickly adopted by the Howard community when it was first introduced, it is now a vocal relic that is cherished by Bison alum near and far, even among those who picked up on it long after graduating from Howard.

Cotton recalls, “I was actually at a gas station the other day and a 1966 law graduate saw my Howard tags and said the chant. We talked for about 15 minutes after that.”

The exact date of the chant’s birth can’t be pinpointed, though it’s speculated to have started around in the mid-1990’s. On an alumni Facebook group, someone recalled the chant also included “HU Bison! You Know!” before it was shortened to “HU! You Know!”

Others remembered a similar call-and-response of “HU! Bison!”…

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BACKGROUND TO THE TRANSCRIPT EXCERPT ABOUT THE "HU" -"YOU KNOW" CHANT FROM THE EMBEDDED REESE WATERS' VIDEO
Representative Jasmine Crocket (Democrat-Texas)'s speech on day one of the 2024 Democratic National Convention included the beginning portion of Howard University's "HU"-"You know" call and response chant.  Rep. Crockett said "HU" after stating that Vice President and Democratic Presidential candidate attended a HBCU (Historically Black College And University).

Vice President and Democratic Candidate for President Kamala Harris is a graduate of Howard University which is a historically Black university Howard University located in Washington, D.C.

Most autogenerated video transcripts of Rep. Crocket's speech that I've read leave out that "HU" abbreviation, probably because it's not recognizable to the transcriber as having any meaning. Some video transcripts of that speech replace "HU" with "Applause" and others move on to her next words.  Also, very little response is heard from the convention attendees for Rep Crocket's "HU" vocalization, probably because most of the convention attendees aren't familiar with that Howard University call and response chant.

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TRANSCRIPT EXCERPT OF THE TRANSCRIPT EXCERPT ABOUT THE "HU" -"YOU KNOW" CHANT FROM THE EMBEDDED REESE WATERS' VIDEO 
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VWZSm6kTk0&t=339s [This video is embedded above.]

0:55-1:49

[Reese Waters speaks]

… you never miss a Jasmine Crockett speech, especially not
at the DNC Convention.

[Jasmine Crockett speaks]

On November 5th. our nation will hire a President, a Commander In Chief,
and leader of the free world.

So let's compare their resumes, shall we?

One candidate worked at McDonald's while she was in college at an HBCU.

HU!

[Reese Waters speaks]

You know!

Am I allowed to say that as as a non Howard grad?

[Jasmine Crockett]

The other was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and helped his daddy in the
family business- housing discrimination, that is.”…

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Chadwick Boseman Surprises Black Panther Fans While They Thank Him

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Feb 28, 2018

Black Panther fans filmed a video message sharing what the movie means to them - what they didn't know was that Chadwick Boseman was right behind the curtain, waiting to surprise them.

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TRANSCRIPT EXCERPT OF THE HOWARD UNIVERSITY "HU" - "YOU KNOW" CHANT IN THAT "TONIGHT SHOW" VIDEO

3:15-4:06
[A young Black woman speaks to a large photograph of The Black Panther unaware that actor Chadwick Boseman is listening to her while he is hiding behind the curtain with Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon.]

"HU!

You know. I am a Howard University student, and that is your alma mater.

I am so, so, so very proud to say that a Bison is T'Challa. the Black Panther.

Seriously, when you made your big scene when you came out, I shed a tear.

It was a big deal for me and my friends and definitely Howard University.

So I just want to say thank you so much for showing us that there are avenues for us.

[Chadwick Boseman and Jimmy Fallon come from behind the curtain to surprise the young woman. Chadwick Boseman speaks]

HU!

[The young woman speaks]

What? What?! What?

[Chadwick Boseman speaks]

I thought you would give me my "you know."

[the young woman speaks]

Oh, my God.

-What?

What?! What?! -That was fantastic.

What is going on?”….

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ANOTHER ONLINE EXAMPLES OF THE HOWARD UNIVERSITY "HU"- "YOU KNOW" CHANT
From https://www.facebook.com/Howardarmyrotc/videos/a-little-something-from-the-real-huhuyou-know/2096916963918516/ "A little something from the REAL HU!…"
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This Facebook page features a brief video of a group of Howard University students enthusiastically saying that "HU" - "You Know" call & response chant

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