harris travel miami

Harris Travel Service, Inc.

Customized travel experiences for luxury minded travelers since 1975..

Harris Travel Service, Inc. is located in South Miami, Florida. We have been in business since 1975. Our Professional Travel Consultants can design anything from a unique weekend getaway to a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience. We believe that what makes the difference between us and our competition is our attention to detail and our desire to ensure that your travel experience surpasses your expectations.

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5884 Sunset Dr

South Miami, FL 33143

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So disappointing! I was actually talked out of taking a trip because it was too late in the season to plan one...ridiculous. I had no problem planning this trip with another travel agent. The agent there did not seem to hear my preferences for cruise line. She told me that I could never get a passport in time (It was early in May and I was planning the trip for September). The passport took 8 days to arrive BTW. I am guessing that commissions are higher with Royal Caribbean and NCL than Princess which was my preferred option. We wanted a smaller ship. This was truly a wasted hour...and they want $200 for the consult! I called the owner and said that I did not feel heard.The fee was waived.

Jun 4, 2018

Good Afternoon Beth W, We are sorry to hear about your experience with Harris Travel Service. We strive to find the best cruise at the best price for our clients regardless of commission. We do charge a research fee which is then applied toward the cruise you select. We apologize if you feel your wishes were not heard. Please call or email us to let us know which one of our consultants was not able to meet your specific requirements. So we may voice your concerns to them directly. Thank you.

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HARRIS TRAVEL SERVICE, INC. MIAMI, FLORIDA

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HARRIS TRAVEL SERVICE, INC. NEAR ME

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Harris, harriet l., harris, harriet l. related companies, andrew d harris, andrew d harris related companies, harris r michele, harris r michele related companies, registered agent is andrew d harris, annual reports.

OBSERVING BUSINESS MILESTONES – 40 YEARS OF FRIENDLY AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AT HARRIS TRAVEL

Forty years ago Microsoft was founded, “Wheel of Fortune” made its debut on NBC, “Jaws” terrorized millions of movie-goers, and Harris Travel Service opened for business in the City of South Miami. Since 1975, Harris Travel has provided service to countless numbers of vacationers, voyagers and business professionals.  

“We offer professional service. We think it is best to let professionals do what they do best,” said Andrew Harris, son of Harriet L. Harris, president and founder of the company. Mother and son share the responsibilities of running the business.

Harris Travel provides a full array of services; however the company has shifted its focus in recent years to the leisure/luxury travel market, making it the bulk of their business. They take pride in their personalized service to the customer that includes following up on the traveler’s experiences during his or her trip. They enjoy a repeat business and have provided service to parents, children and grandchildren in the same family.

“We are about 85 percent luxury/leisure and about 15 percent corporate,” said Andrew, a Certified Travel Consultant.

The business was founded by his mother Harriet, who continues to work in the company albeit on a limited schedule. Mrs. Harris started in the travel business in 1965 and later transformed what she considered something of a hobby into a large, successful business. In 1984, Harris Travel moved to its current location at 5884 Sunset Drive in the town center.

Mrs. Harris was married to Marshall Stanton Harris, an attorney, who was a powerful legislator representing Miami-Dade County in the decades of the ‘60s and ‘70s. He served in the Florida House from 1966 to 1974 and was known for his acumen with state budgets. Mr. Harris practiced real property law and later joined his wife at the travel company. He passed away in 2009.

“The trains in the window were my father’s idea,” said Andrew. Marshall Harris started collecting trains before Andrew was born. In 1984, they came to the building and were set up as the “World in One Window.” It certainly attracted a lot of attention. Parents would ask the Harris’ to make the trains run for their children, which they would do from time to time.

Andrew started working at the travel office when he was quite young. Studying faraway places on the map piqued his interest. Now his daughter Katy works with him, too.

“I love it, and I am going to keep doing it,” said Andrew.

Harris Travel Service is affiliated with Virtuoso, a leading luxury network that creates unique travel experiences that cannot be found online or planned by the individual traveler. They are experts at putting together the many moving parts involved in luxury travel.

“People value hiring professionals to plan their trips and ensuring a memorable vacation,” said Andrew.

As for doing business in South Miami, Andrew said, “I don’t think there is any place else in South Florida I’d rather be.”

Harris Travel Service is located at 5884 Sunset Drive and is open Monday through Friday; Saturday by appointment only. For more information, visit at .

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Plan your next vacation or long weekend with the help of these travel, transportation, and lodging businesses. Browse through businesses listed below and discover alumni discounts near you. New listings are added every day to this showcase of the worldwide ’Cane economic footprint.

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Cruises, Inc.

 Ellyn Ventura, B.A. '63

Offering the best rates on all destinations. Specializing in heritage tours, river cruising, ocean cruises and all types of group travel.

Alumni Discount: Please inquire.

Web: http://cruisesinc.com/eventura Email: [email protected] Web: 11004 w Utopia Rd, Sun City, Arizona 85373

Harris Travel Service, Inc.

Andrew D. Harris, A.B. '92

Harris Travel Service, Inc, located in South Miami, Florida, has been in business since 1975. We specialize in Luxury Travel, Adventure Travel, Wellness Travel, Family Travel, Cruises, Tours, and customized trip planning services for the Independent Traveler. We have been members of Virtuoso, a network of the best luxury travel agencies worldwide, since 2002.

Alumni Discount:   10% discount

Web: http://www.harristravelservice.com   Email: [email protected]   Address: 5884 Sunset Drive South Miami, FL 33143 United States

Shoot My Travel

Valerie Lopez, B.S.C. '14

Shoot my Travel is an online platform that pairs travelers with local photographers worldwide to capture your journey as well as show you places not even tripadvisor knows! Honeymooners, backpackers and travel buddies everywhere have the opportunity to have a photographer tag along and have beautiful memories to share for a lifetime.We have most definitely started a conversation, as we been featured in The Guardian and NBC's The Today Show!

Alumni Discount: $10 Discount.

Web: www.shootmytravel.com   Email: [email protected]    Address: 31 SE 6th St., Apt. 605, Miami, FL 33131

South Florida Fishing Adventures

Michael Jawitz, B.B.A. '62

In-shore and off-shore fishing charters. Choice of five boats. Sunny Isles to Key Biscayne. Flats and bay featuring live bait with the finest tackle. We also offer large air-conditioned charter boats. All charters are tailored to the individual needs and wants. Check out our website!

Alumni Discount: 15-25% discount

Web:   https://www.sf-fishingadventures.com/    Email: [email protected]   Email: 954-458-3940   Address: Miami Beach, Sunny Isles, Aventura, Key Biscayne

Miami Lakes

Adventuresque Travel Boutique LLC

Natalia Yepes, B.Sc. ’10

Adventuresque Travel Boutique is a travel agency that customizes travel for those who love to experience new, unique destinations. We customize trips around the world as needed.

Alumni Discount:   10% Planning Fee with code UMTravel

Web: www.adventuresquetravel.com Email: [email protected] Phone: 786-660-1860 Address: 6600 Main St, Miami Lakes, FL 33014-2294

Warner Robins

Patriot Global Travel

Sean Fox BA '02

Patriot Global Travel is a Veteran owned/operated small business that provides full service travel support for our clients. We will scour the industry to find the best value & deals for our clients

Alumni Discount:   Discounts/incentives may be available. Contact us for more information.

Web: https://www.patriotglobaltravel.com/   Email: [email protected]   Address: 407 Sark Drive

Cruise Planners - Ben Costa

Benjamin Costa, B.S. '83

We are a full service travel agency focusing on multi-generational and group travel.

Alumni Discount:   $25 off any Cruise or Vacation package 5 Days or longer, $50 off any Cruise or vacation package 7 days or longer.

Web: https://www.cruiseplanners.com/travel-agents/view/10901-Ben-&-Rosemary-Costa   Email: [email protected]   Phone: (973) 798-2493 Address: 3 Cadmus St., Nutley, NJ, 07110

Jiayao Li, M.A.E. '15

LUXTRVL is a travel agency specializing in tropical, luxury vacations for single traveler, couple or groups. Our area of focus includes All-Inclusive, Adults Only, Destination Wedding, Honeymoon, Vow Renewal, Corporate Incentive, Disney, Cruise, Affinity Groups.Geographic destinations expert in Caribbean islands, Indian Ocean islands, Africa, Southeast Asia and Polynesian islands (Including Hawaii).

Alumni Discount: Special VIP amenities in destination hotels, resorts and cruises. Examples include: $100-$275 hotel/cruise credit, complimentary breakfast for two daily, early check in and late check out.

Web: http://www.instagram.com/luxtrvlco   Email: [email protected]   Phone: 305-922-8172 Address: 110 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005

Getaways Done Your Way

Shelley Dilworth, B.S. '91

Getaways Done Your Way is a full service travel agency specializing in creating customized vacations for my clients. We cater to all needs, including multi-generational, couples, families and groups.

Web: https://getawaysdoneyourway.mtravel.com/ Email: [email protected] Address: 400 Barnsgate Dr., Cochranville, PA 19330

Sailing Eternal Tides

Kelsi Howard, B.A. ’15

Eco conscious sailing charter

Web: www.sailingeternaltides.com   Phone: (808) 388-7256 Email: [email protected] Address: 1125 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96814

Other Countries

Aloha Ventures LTD

Koksal Abdurrahmanoglu, B.S. '92, M.B.A. '94

As the team of istanbul.com, we have been working hard since 1995, serving Istanbul and Istanbul lovers with our in depth & up-to-date content on Turkish culture, food and lifestyle.Thus far, we created Istanbul's most popular online life-style and local content site at Istanbul.com.

Alumni Discount: 10%

Web: https://istanbul.com/ Email: [email protected] Address: 2 Eliot Gardens London, Surrey SW15 5NB, United Kindom

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Kamala Harris

Media advisory: vice president kamala harris to travel to miami, fl.

On Thursday, September 28 , Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Miami, FL as she continues her "Fight for Our Freedoms" College Tour with a moderated conversation at Florida International University, one of the largest Hispanic-Serving Institution in the country. This campus event will be the sixth stop on the Vice President's month-long college tour.

Vice President Harris's "Fight for Our Freedoms" College Tour is a high-energy national swing that is mobilizing thousands of young people in the ongoing fight for fundamental freedoms and rights. She is visiting around a dozen campuses including HBCUs, community colleges, apprenticeship programs, state schools, and additional Hispanic-Serving Institutions. At each stop, the Vice President is focusing on key issues that disproportionately impact young people across America – from reproductive freedom and gun safety to climate action, voting rights, LGBTQ+ equality, mental health, and book bans.

The Vice President's college tour kicked off with stops at Hampton University, North Carolina A&T State University, Reading Area Community College, and IBEW Local 743 where she spoke with members of an apprenticeship program. On Tuesday, Vice President Harris will participate in a moderated conversation with students from Morehouse College, Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, and Morris Brown College – four HBCUs in Atlanta, GA. The tour is a continuation of her dedicated work to energize, engage, and partner with young people throughout the country. She has already been to 14 college campuses this year after visiting 14 schools in 2022.

Media interested in attending Thursday's moderated conversation at Florida International University should RSVP HERE by 5:00 pm ET on Wednesday, September 27.

The Vice President's arrival at Miami International Airport will be open to pre-credentialed press. Interested media should RSVP HERE by 5:00 pm ET on Wednesday, September 27.

Kamala Harris, Media Advisory: Vice President Kamala Harris to Travel to Miami, FL Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/365598

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Democrats Hammer a Simple Attack on Abortion: Donald Trump Did This

The party is unifying around a blunt message that Vice President Kamala Harris pushed for privately ahead of her Friday trip to Arizona, where Democrats hope to keep Republicans reeling.

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By Lisa Lerer ,  Reid J. Epstein and Nicholas Nehamas

In a meeting with her staff last week, Vice President Kamala Harris offered a prediction: Former President Donald J. Trump would not support a national abortion ban. Instead, she said, he would take a position that would muddy the waters on an issue that she believed could be deeply damaging for his campaign.

We need to make him own this, she told her aides.

Days later, as rumors circulated that a court ruling was coming on Arizona’s abortion ban, Ms. Harris instructed that an event in Tucson about student loans should instead focus on abortion rights, according to three Democratic officials familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the internal deliberations.

On Tuesday, Arizona’s top court upheld an 1864 law that bans nearly all abortions . And on Friday, before more than 100 abortion rights activists and supporters, Ms. Harris plans to deliver a simple message: Blame Donald Trump.

From campaigns for state legislatures to the race for the White House, Democrats have unified around a central message of protecting what remains of abortion access in the United States, along with the availability of long-established reproductive health measures like contraception and fertility treatments.

The Democratic effort underscores how the 2022 Supreme Court decision ending federal abortion rights remade American politics. Four years ago, Joseph R. Biden Jr. rarely mentioned abortion rights in his general-election campaign, fearing the issue could alienate moderate voters and would not sufficiently energize his base. Now, after the fall of Roe v. Wade, abortion rights are a centerpiece of his re-election bid, the first time that an American presidential campaign has focused so intensely on women’s reproductive health.

After largely abandoning an effort to brand economic progress under the banner of Bidenomics , the president’s team has found a simpler, easier-to-understand slogan to use wherever states are restricting abortion.

“Donald Trump did this,” reads the closing shot of one of the campaign’s new advertisements about abortion.

That message, Democrats say, has been supercharged by the Arizona abortion decision. The state is only the most prominent of dozens where abortion is likely to remain front and center in November, between continued bans on the procedure, a steady drumbeat of legal rulings and painful personal stories of women affected by the restrictions, and ballot measures asking voters whether to expand rights and access.

“The more and more we see these examples, the more and more people are like: ‘Oh God, that could happen to my family. That could happen to someone I love,’” said Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, the chairwoman of Mr. Biden’s campaign. “We believe now when fundamental rights are taken away, it is not an issue people are going to forget.”

This week, Democrats have rallied around abortion rights in races from coast to coast. In Florida, former Representative Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who is running for the Senate, began a “ Florida Freedom Tour ” after a decision by the Florida Supreme Court last week allowing a six-week abortion ban. In North Carolina, two women who experienced life-threatening complications after being denied abortions in their home states appeared at Biden campaign events.

Spanish-language signs erected in Phoenix and Tempe blamed Mr. Trump for the Arizona ban, and billboards in swing House districts from California to Texas accused Republicans of voting against treatments like in vitro fertilization. And in Arizona, the Biden campaign announced a “seven-figure investment” in ads focused on reproductive rights.

Much more is scheduled for the coming weeks. The Biden campaign is sketching out plans to campaign around notable — and some far less known — anniversaries over the next two months.

In May, it plans to mark the leak of a draft of the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe and the anniversary of a Nebraska ban on abortion at 12 weeks . June will bring the anniversaries of the 1965 Supreme Court decision in Griswold v. Connecticut, which legalized contraception for married couples, and of the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that ended a constitutional right to abortion.

Biden campaign aides believe the issue could sway the presidential race in their favor not only in Arizona but also in North Carolina, which a Democrat last won in 2008. Even Florida could possibly be in play, they suggest, despite its recent shift to the right.

Abortion bans in places like Florida could have national ramifications, Biden campaign aides say. Florida and Arizona are not perceived to be as socially conservative as some of the Southern states that enacted bans on the procedure before the Supreme Court ruling, these aides argue, and their tightening restrictions will help illustrate the widespread impact of the court’s decision.

“Folks are keenly aware that it may be Arizona today, but in an election or two, it could come to your neighborhood,” said Lt. Gov. Austin Davis of Pennsylvania, a Democrat. “It is very much something that I hear on the road and that people come up and talk about.”

Not everyone agrees: Some within the Biden campaign worry that focusing on abortion could lead it to neglect other issues on which the president is struggling more for approval, including inflation, immigration and — this week — student loan debt .

Molly Murphy, a Biden pollster, said abortion rights were particularly motivating for younger voters, whom Mr. Biden has struggled to energize. But she said the issue resonated far beyond them, reaching much of the party’s voting base, including white women without college degrees, Latino women and suburban swing voters.

“I think we actually can’t talk about it enough,” she said. “I’ve actually not seen any group where it just falls flat.”

Polls have shown that a broad majority of voters believe abortion should be entirely or mostly legal and that more voters trust Mr. Biden than Mr. Trump on the issue. Twelve percent of voters in a recent survey by KFF , a nonprofit group focused on health policy, said abortion was the “most important issue” in their 2024 vote. That is a significant shift from 2020 , when a larger share of self-described “pro-life” voters were more likely to say the issue was important to their vote than self-described “pro-choice” voters.

On Wednesday, Mr. Trump distanced himself from the Arizona law and speculated that Florida’s six-week ban was “ probably, maybe going to change .” He continued to defend the position he had taken in a video statement on Monday, when he said that abortion laws should be left to the states .

Yet Democrats believe Mr. Trump will not be able to outrun blame for appointing the three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe — a ruling he often highlights as a major accomplishment of his presidency. Democrats are also leveraging this strategy against other Republican candidates by pointing to their past support for legislation that would curtail or even eradicate abortion rights.

“It’s gone from an abstract concern that women might lose their right to make their own health care decisions to reality” that they have already lost it, said Josh Stein, the Democratic nominee for governor in North Carolina, which enacted a 12-week abortion ban last year . “When you compound it with the fact that we are now the southernmost state in which abortion remains lawful, it becomes all the more concerning.”

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has identified 18 competitive races in states where measures expanding abortion rights are likely to appear on the ballot in November. There also are at least five competitive Senate races in states where advocates are working to place abortion questions on the November ballot — including Florida, where Mr. Trump lives. On Wednesday, he dodged a question about how he would vote on the issue.

“Democrats can run on a unifying message from state legislative races to the Senate to the presidential campaign,” said Ben Wikler, the chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, who helped liberals win a critical State Supreme Court election last year. “It creates the possibility of a surround-sound campaign.”

Many Democrats believe their most powerful message comes from the women directly affected by the state bans. Democratic strategists from the Biden campaign and for congressional candidates anticipate featuring more accounts of women delivering heart-rending accounts of losing their pregnancies and facing dire medical consequences when they were denied abortion care.

Even some Democratic candidates have begun sharing stories about their own abortions that would have been considered too politically charged even just two years ago. On Thursday, Lucia Báez-Geller, a Democrat running for Congress in a South Florida district held by a Republican, wrote about her decision to end a nonviable pregnancy at 12 weeks in an opinion essay published in The Miami Herald . Under the six-week ban, which is expected to go into effect by May 1, such a procedure would become harder, if not impossible, to receive.

“There is definitely heightened attention around this, and I just feel that my story is one of many,” Ms. Báez-Geller said in an interview. “And I think my story is going to pale in comparison to the stories that we’re going to hear when this ban goes into effect.”

Michael Gold contributed reporting.

Lisa Lerer is a national political reporter for The Times, based in New York. She has covered American politics for nearly two decades. More about Lisa Lerer

Reid J. Epstein covers campaigns and elections from Washington. Before joining The Times in 2019, he worked at The Wall Street Journal, Politico, Newsday and The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. More about Reid J. Epstein

Nicholas Nehamas is a Times political reporter covering the re-election campaign of President Biden. More about Nicholas Nehamas

Youth climate advocates, sensing an ally, hold protest near Kamala Harris’ L.A. home

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A crowd of about 40 young activists protested Sunday near Vice President Kamala Harris’ house, vowing to stay through the night if she did not meet their demands on climate change and Israel.

Activists with Sunrise Movement, which has organized climate protests across the country, said they arrived in Harris’ quiet Brentwood neighborhood with two demands for the vice president: Convince President Biden to declare a climate emergency and end U.S. military aid to Israel.

On the chance that didn’t all fall into place Sunday afternoon, the group came prepared with tents and sleeping bags.

“We’re three houses away from her home, and we are not going away,” said Adah Crandall, an 18-year-old organizer.

Kamala Harris, in San Francisco, outlines ‘profound’ stakes of election, raises her own profile

Vice President Kamala Harris returned to San Francisco to collect some campaign cash and make the case for democracy being at stake in the 2024 election.

March 12, 2024

In February, 21 climate change protesters were arrested outside Biden’s campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Del. Crandall called Sunday’s protest “a continuation of that campaign.”

As of Sunday afternoon, organizers hadn’t seen Harris, they said, though they believed she was in Los Angeles.

Harris was expected to fly to Las Vegas Monday morning to attend two events. Secret Service officers will be looking to clear the roadway.

The activists said they felt Harris was a champion for the climate before entering the White House, advocating for the Green New Deal when she was running for president and pushing climate resolutions as a senator.

Wei Zhou, 17, wants to see Harris push the president to declare a climate emergency, allowing the government to mobilize with rapid measures.

“We’ve seen her go ahead of Biden on certain things,” said Zhou. “We’re asking her to be the kind of leader she was in 2019 now.”

More to Read

Jill Biden’s swing through Southern California: Fundraisers, protesters and a stop at SoulCycle

March 25, 2024

Kamala Harris marks first visit to Puerto Rico as vice president, drawing some protests

March 22, 2024

Biden, at a Los Angeles fundraiser, says 2024 election offers a stark choice

Feb. 21, 2024

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Vice President Kamala Harris links up with ‘A Different World’ cast to promote student debt relief, HBCUs

America's first Black vice president held a private White House meeting with the stars of the 1990s sitcom inside her West Wing office.

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Vice President Kamala Harris celebrated historically Black colleges and universities with the cast of sitcom “A Different World” as the White House promoted their efforts to reduce the burden of student debt.

In a video posted on Friday, Harris highlighted the Biden-Harris administration’s moves to eliminate student debt for millions of borrowers. She was joined by “A Different World” co-stars — Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison and Glenn Turman — in urging borrowers to learn more about the federal debt relief programs available.

The video begins with Guy, who starred as Whitley Gilbert, and Hardison, who played Dwayne Wayne, at the White House. In the show, Wayne had a love interest in Gilbert as they studied at Hillman College, a fictional HBCU. The series ran on NBC from 1987 to 1993.

“We’re living in a different world,” Guy said.

Hardison followed saying, “Whether you graduated from Hillman or …,” before the camera cuts to Harris who continued saying, “Or went to the real H-U, student loan debt is a burden for far too many people these days, and we’re doing something about it.”

Harris is a graduate of Howard University, which students and alumni of the institution denote as “the real H-U” to differentiate it from its rival Hampton University.

In a follow up video posted on Saturday, the cast, including Cree Summer, Dawnn Lewis, Chernele Brown and Daryl Bell, recreate the sitcom’s intro outside the West Wing. It later pans to Harris greeting and speaking with the cast in her office.

According to the vice president’s office, Harris was “elated” to welcome the cast at the White House during their visit orchestrated by the White House Office of Public Engagement. The cast was in Washington, D.C., as part of their HBCU tour to promote enrollment and raise scholarship funding for current and future students. 

The actors had a private meeting with Harris on Tuesday, where they discussed the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to address the rising cost of higher education and the burden of student debt.

The meeting also highlighted HBCUs, some of which have seen record enrollment since the COVID-19 pandemic. The Biden-Harris administration invested over $7 billion into historically Black colleges and universities. As a graduate of Howard, Harris has been credited for putting a national spotlight on HBCUs.

The vice president’s office said Harris would continue to uplift the importance of HBCUs and the impact of “trailblazing HBCU graduates across the nation.”

A day before the cast of “A Different World” visited the White House, which included a tour of the press briefing room with White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, the Biden-Harris administration announced its long-anticipated student loan debt relief program. 

The “ Plan B ” to President Biden’s original program, which the U.S. Supreme Court eliminated, includes five methods to “fix” the federal student loan program, including providing debt cancellation for borrowers who owe more today than they did when they entered repayment, who have owed for 20 years or more and who are experiencing financial hardship. The proposed plan is expected to be finalized by the fall. 

Combined with existing student loan programs created or expanded by the administration, the White House expects to provide relief to as many as 30 million student borrowers, including many Black and Latino borrowers. To date, Biden and Harris have canceled $146 billion in student loan debt for four million Americans.

TheGrio caught up with the cast of “A Different World” about the need to bring economic relief to Black college students and borrowers. 

“We’re weighing these babies down when they’re just starting life,” Guy told theGrio. “They’re coming into their life with a ball and chain.” 

Bell, who starred as Ron Johnson on “A Different World,” evoked America’s first Black president, Barack Obama, and former First Lady Michelle Obama, who did not pay off their college debt until just four years before they entered the White House.

“Everybody can’t do that to get out of debt,” Bell said. Lewis, who played Jaleesa Vinson, said she couldn’t pay off her student loan debt until her starring role in “A Different World.” “It was getting deferred, deferred until I got a job … I could’ve been doing that for more than a decade to trying to pay off my student loans,” said Lewis, who graduated from the University of Miami. “But it was important to get the education, and you do what you have to do.”

Reflecting on their visit to the White House and progress for Black Americans, Turman, who starred as Colonel Bradford Taylor on the show, said it was “a good jumping-off point.”

“I actually see us going so much further,” he told theGrio. “It’s good that we’re here. And it took all of what it has taken to get here. But where we’ve got to go, this is only the tip of the iceberg.”

Turman said he particularly wanted young Black people to be “encouraged” and “enthusiastic” about the opportunities available to them but not “take any of it for granted.”

“This is no time to become complacent. Just because you see us standing here at the White House doesn’t mean that we still don’t have to put brick and mortar on that bad boy,” he said. “Keep on going … because we need you.”

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