President Biden attended the commencement for Morehouse College in Atlanta where he applauded a call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip made by valedictorian Deangelo Fletcher. Fletcher did not directly rebuke the president but called for immediate and permanent ceasefire, evoking the activism of Morehouse alumnus Martin Luther King Jr. Biden has pushed for a pause in the fighting while affirming support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas, something that has caused discontent among progressives. Some faculty and students at Morehouse openly protested against Biden’s invite due to their frustrations with the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
In preparation for his commencement address, Steve Benjamin from the administration’s Office of Public Engagement at Morehouse met with upset students regarding the Biden invite in light of the Gaza conflict. He assured them that Biden’s speech would focus on the students’ achievements and not be political. A small group of faculty members have refused to attend the commencement due to their disapproval of Biden. This visit marked Biden’s first significant appearance on a college campus since anti-Israel protests began at elite institutions, though the protests at Morehouse were relatively subdued compared to other universities.
While at Morehouse, Biden was set to receive an honorary degree after the majority of the faculty voted in favor of awarding him. His upcoming speech was teased by the White House press secretary as an opportunity for the president to impart an important message to future leaders. This event occurred amid Biden’s political challenges in the Israel-Hamas conflict and his declining support among younger and black voters, as shown by recent polling data. Despite this, Biden announced $16 billion in new funding for historically Black colleges and universities before his speech.
Former President Barack Obama had previously spoken at Morehouse College in 2013, making Biden the first president to deliver the school’s commencement address in 11 years. Biden’s speech at Morehouse was followed by another commencement address at the US Military Academy at West Point. The visit was characterized by discontent among faculty members and students regarding Biden’s stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict, as some have chosen to boycott the address. The president’s speech was seen as an opportunity to provide an important message to future leaders amid various political challenges and declining support from certain voter demographics.
