WASHINGTON — As midnight approached Tuesday night at Howard University, where a crowd of Kamala Harris supporters gathered to await the results of the presidential election, lingering fear gave way to excitement. And then worry.

That’s how it was all evening at “The Yard” at the historically black college where Harris graduated in 1986. Moments of celebration were overshadowed by projections favoring her rival, Republican Donald Trump.

By the time Tuesday night turned into Wednesday morning, the anxiety of the unknown was prevalent.

“I wanted this to be a coronation tonight,” said Ben Eddins, a Howard alumnus. “She deserves it. But we have to wait and see. Whatever the results, this moment is special, and Kamala Harris is special.”

Around 12:45 p.m. Wednesday, campaign chairman Cedric Richmond told the crowd that Harris would not address supporters.

“We still have to count votes. There are still states that have not been called,” Richmond said. “You’ll hear from her tomorrow.”

Hours before the predictions came in, Tiara Martin, 18, said she understood the excitement that black Americans in particular felt after Barack Obama was elected the first black president of the United States.

“I heard black people were so excited and emotional,” said Martin, a freshman. “That’s how I am now. The campus feels like a ball of energy about to explode.”

Harris had returned to campus several times, including as a commencement speaker in 2017. She also announced in 2019 that she was running for president of Howard, a place she has called “home.”

But those occasions were nothing like Tuesday night, as the overall feel of the campus festivities changed over the course of several hours.

The Howard University Gospel Choir sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and “Oh, Happy Day” as a worship element early in the evening. There was a sense of homecoming at the university with members of the Divine Nine, the network of black fraternities and sororities, strutting and strutting to upbeat music. There was the university’s thumping Bison band.

University President Wayne AI Frederick added a historical element in a short speech. “You are standing on holy, hallowed ground that has witnessed history,” he told the packed crowd, made up mostly of students. “You stand on grass sown by our ancestors, flanked by buildings whose bricks have witnessed ex-slaves turned scholars. … Tonight, our Yard in Unity is open to all people, all races, creeds, genders, ethnicities and backgrounds.”

And there was certainly a festive element to the occasion, with guests moving to the sounds of the DJ and performing line dances with pure joy. “I feel all this,” said Yolanda Robinson, a 1992 Howard graduate who traveled from Philadelphia. “This is us: coming together as a family to celebrate each other, while supporting our sister who has represented us all so well. It’s joyful.”

But the music and partying stopped when the results came in, with Trump taking a big lead by winning all the traditionally Republican states, according to NBC News projections. Harris kept pace by not losing any blue or Democratic states as projected. But her path to history began to shrink as Trump’s numbers piled up, especially in swing states like North Carolina and Georgia, which NBC News predicted he would win.

At that point the partying stopped and anxiety took over. Every update where Trump was in charge inspired strong boos. A Harris lead resulted in loud shouting, like you would hear at a sporting event.

That’s how it was for much of the late evening: the excitement and hope punctuated by the specter of a Trump victory.

Still, Jabari Robinson, 20, a junior, said he was consumed by the moment, despite worrying about what the final results would be.

“I’m just amazed,” Robinson said. “I am honored to be a current student at Howard University. We all talk about how great it is to see an alumna in this historic position. It shows you that anything is possible if you work hard. Kamala Harris is a powerful confirmation of that cliché. I feel all the energy and hope in the air. I am inspired.”

Renae Martin, a 1976 Howard graduate, said he had a revelatory moment as the results started rolling in.

“If you think about it, Kamala Harris has already won,” she said. “Look at all this pomp and circumstance for a black woman on the campus of a black college. The whole world is watching. This doesn’t happen every day. It never happens. That just touched me. She has already won.”

Harris has certainly fostered a community. “This is like coming home, but different because it’s not just about fun,” said Sandra Fields, a Howard graduate. “This feels like coming home with a purpose. We party and laugh and hug each other. But we also pray for something bigger than all of us.”