What Lies Beneath Charter Day Convocation

🗓️ March 16, 2026

✍🏾 Jae'Dyn Smith

Every March, Howard University gathers to celebrate one of its most sacred traditions: Charter Day. Commemorating the university’s founding in 1867, the annual convocation is designed to reflect on legacy, honor achievement, and reaffirm the institution’s commitment to Truth & Service.

But in 2026, the ceremony arrives at a moment of transition... and scrutiny. With Wayne A. I. Frederick returning as interim president, Charter Day is no longer just about reflection. It has become a lens through which students, alumni, and stakeholders are evaluating leadership, transparency, and the future direction of the university.

Charter Day History

At its core, Charter Day is a celebration of Howard’s founding mission; to educate newly freed Black Americans and produce leaders across generations.

The 159th Charter Day Convocation continued that tradition, centering themes of connection, legacy, and alumni achievement. Orator Donald B. Christian emphasized the enduring power of the Howard network and its role in shaping Black excellence globally.

The ceremony itself remains polished and symbolic: academic regalia, keynote speeches, and recognition of distinguished alumni. It is, in many ways, Howard at its best.

But what happens when symbolism meets reality?

The Return of the "Interim" President 

In September 2025, Wayne A. I. Frederick, who previously served as Howard’s president from 2014 to 2023, was appointed interim president once again after the resignation of Dr. Ben Vinson. 

His return was framed as stabilizing: a familiar leader stepping in to guide the university while the Board of Trustees searches for its next permanent president.

Frederick himself has been explicit about the temporary nature of the role, stating that he does not intend to become the university’s next long-term president.

Still, the word “interim” carries weight, and of course, skepticism.

For many students, questions remain: "How much authority should an interim leader hold?" and "What long-term decisions are being made during a “temporary” administration?".

Ceremony vs. Reality

Charter Day presents a unified image of Howard. One that's prestigious, historic, and forward-moving.

Yet student experiences often tell a more complicated story. Concerns about housing, financial aid, administrative communication, and campus resources have circulated in recent years, especially with the recent flurry of crowdfunding efforts and GoFundMe's seen from Howard students unable to keep up with the rising cost of attendance. This is a reflection of a longstanding tension between institutional image and student reality.

This contrast is not new. During Frederick’s earlier presidency, student protests, including the 2018 financial aid sit-in, highlighted frustrations with administrative transparency and responsiveness.

While the university has since made strides in growth and funding, those tensions linger in student memory.

So when students sit in Cramton Auditorium for Charter Day, the question becomes:
Is this a celebration of what Howard is or what it aspires to be?

Leadership, Optics, & Trust 

Charter Day is more than tradition, it is messaging.

Every speech, every honoree, every carefully curated moment communicates what the university values. Under interim leadership, that messaging becomes even more significant.

Frederick’s current role has been described as one focused on “ensuring the university is in prime shape” for its next president, emphasizing operational stability and continuity.

But stability and progress are not always the same thing.

Students and faculty alike are paying attention to what is and isn’t being addressed publicly. In an era where transparency is expected, ceremonial spaces like Charter Day can feel disconnected if they fail to acknowledge ongoing concerns.

The Biggest Picture

For students, this isn't about titles and leadership positions, but about lived experience. 

The administration makes decisions that affect things like tuition and financial aid accessibility, campus housing and infrastructure, ecademic resources and program funding, etc.

Howard has always existed at the intersection of symbolism and substance. It is both a historic institution and a living, evolving campus.

Charter Day Convocation represents the best of Howard; its history, its people, and its promise. But the presence of an interim president during this moment highlights a deeper truth:

The university is in transition.

And transitions demand more than celebration but they require clarity, communication, and trust. As tuition-paying students, demand that from administration.