The new and improved Howard University’s Bison Exchange Campus Store, previously known as the Howard University Bookstore, officially had its grand opening Sept. 16 with a preview ceremony and ribbon-cutting events signaling “A New Chapter. A Bolder Experience.” 

The renovated store, which remains located at 2225 Georgia Ave. NW, is rebranded, expanded, and newly envisioned, offering an elevated experience for the Howard community at large. It is the largest renovation in the bookstore’s history, thanks in part to a new partnership with Follett Higher Education, a leading educational service provider and retailer, that began June 1, 2025. 

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Wayne A.I. Frederick, (B.S. ’92, M.D. ’94, MBA ’11), Howard University interim president, president emeritus, and the Charles Drew Professor of Surgery; Jane Mitchell, group vice president/Northeast, Follett Higher Education; Rashad Young, Howard’s senior vice president for administration and chief administrative officer; and LaNiece Tyree, Howard’s AVP of Auxiliary Services, gave remarks at the grand opening, helping usher in the transformed 16,000-square-foot two-level store. 

Ssanyu Lukoma, the 88th Miss Howard University and Miles Christopher Francisque, the 50th Mister Howard University, also gave remarks. The Showtime Marching Band delivered an opening performance. 

Bison Exchange boasts many new, standout highlights including a community event space for hosting author events, receptions, fireside chats, student programming and other activations; an expanded Jordan Brand experience; a new embroidery customization zone offering personalized Howard apparel and gifts; and an expanded premium gift selection featuring elevated gifts, luxury merchandise, and exclusive Howard University collections.  

“It’s no longer a bookstore,” said Frederick. “It’s a Bison Exchange store, and there’s a lot more going on here than books. It will always be a bookstore to me, being a triple alum and coming here in 1988. This place was about a tenth of the size of what this place looks like now. I appreciate the transformation.” 

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The president said one of the things that is important about this transformation is “it will always honor in truth and service, scholarship and leadership.” 

Since the beginning of the partnership between Howard and Follett, which includes a $1.4 million investment by Follett, Mitchell said Follett always understood that operating Howard’s campus store was about much more than books, merchandise or transactions. 

“It’s about becoming part of the University community with a remarkable history, a powerful sense of identity, and a student body whose journey matters deeply,” Mitchell said, “and this beautiful new space is a reflection of that. This renovation represents collaboration and action. It reflects the vision, the commitment, and hard work of so many people across Howard University and our organization who came together around a shared goal, to create a bookstore that feels worthy of this institution and meaningful to the people who call it home. We are incredibly proud of what we’ve built together.” 

Dedicated Space for Howard-authored Books 

The books found at Bison Exchange, and the learning opportunities from within those books, are something Frederick is especially proud of. Some of those books are part of a new dedicated space, the Alumni & Faculty Author Collection, a new platform highlighting the works of some of Howard’s own. Howard-founded and Black-owned businesses are also prominently represented through expanded Black-owned Howard Alumni Brand collections. 

“One of the things that Howard has done is not only honor our own authors, but we’ve always been a place that also tried to honor authors around the HBCU community that we support,” said Frederick.

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Frederick spoke on Bison Exchange’s support of Brown Kids Read, a nonprofit initiative founded by Lukoma when she was 13. The initiative will include bringing books to the store and reading to children. 

Lukoma said when she was 12, a friend told her he didn’t like reading schoolbooks because none of the boys in the books looked like his Puerto Rican self. That conversation changed her trajectory as she dedicated her mission to ensuring every child sees themselves reflected on the page. 

“When you step into a space like this (Bison Exchange), it’s easy to focus on the design, the ribbon, and the branding. Don’t get me wrong, all of it is phenomenal. So much hard work went into making this day happen. But at its core, I believe what we’re truly celebrating today is the power of a story,” Lukoma said as a preface to her own story. 

Howard Swag Central 

Bison Exchange also has an endless array of apparel, paraphernalia, electronics, makeup, and nicknacks including hoodies, sweatshirts, T-shirts, jackets, watches, dorm kits, key chains, coffee mugs, water bottles, and much more. 

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Frederick expressed excitement over the level of heavily stocked “swag” found at Bison Exchange. He said while he was in Bloomington, Indiana, for the Bison vs. Hoosiers game, he was told the Howard University president was the only president who must have swag. 

“I don’t have it. Hopefully the next person will. But more importantly, whoever ‘she’ is she can come in here and get some good Howard swag to go with her swag, and I think that’s important just as well,” said Frederick. “Especially with Homecoming coming, this is a good time to open the Bison Exchange Campus Store. I think you’re going to see a lot going on in here.” 

Tools for the Future 

Young said the Bison Exchange Campus Store is hopefully just the first of many celebrations of things headed to Howard to support faculty, staff and students, and that the store “provides a more modern and engaging retail experience that’s more than just a retail destination.” 

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“It’s a place for our students, our alum, our faculty, our stuff, our families and our visitors to connect with the Howard experience, to experience the pride, tradition and excellence of this University. We’re excited about what this space represents today and what it will continue to offer to the Howard community.”  

Francisque said with Bison Exchange’s grand opening, the University is once again giving its students the tools needed to claim their future.  

“We are not merely opening the doors to a beautiful physical structure, we are expanding the rich, unyielding footprint of Howard’s enduring legacy of truth and service. This space represents the next great chapter of our growing history. It is a manifestation of our collective vision, a sanctuary where future global leaders, innovators and changemakers will collaborate, challenge the status quo, and carry out traditions forward into a new dawn.” 

Top photo: Bison Exchange Campus Store. Photo by Simone Boyd/Howard University