President Biden attended a graduation ceremony at Morehouse College in Atlanta on Sunday and praised the call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking before Biden’s commencement address, valedictorian D’Angelo Fletcher did not directly rebuke the president, but called for an “immediate and permanent ceasefire.”
“It is only natural that the Class of 2024 will take advantage of every platform provided to us in solidarity with peace and justice,” Fletcher said, recalling the work of Morehouse alumnus Martin Luther King Jr. Ta.
“The conflict between Israel and Gaza has plagued the people of the region for generations,” he added. “It is important to recognize that both sides have suffered heavy casualties since October 7.”
Biden, 81, has pushed for a moratorium on fighting in Gaza but has vowed to support Israel in its war against Hamas, which has upset progressives.
Ahead of Biden’s commencement address, some faculty members and students at the historically black, all-male university, due to dissatisfaction with the Israel-Hamas war, publicly rejected Biden’s invitation. caused a rebellion.
Earlier this month, Morehouse’s director of the administration’s public engagement office, Steve Benjamin, gathered with students who were upset about Biden’s invitation, given the raging war on the other side of the world. NBC reported.
Benjamin tried to impress upon the students that Biden’s speech would not function as a campaign speech, but instead would center on his accomplishments as a student.
A small group of teachers reportedly He vowed not to attend the graduation speech.
“I’ve talked to several faculty members who say they would not stand on stage with Joe Biden under any conditions,” said political science professor Andrew Douglas. Morehouse previously told NBC..
“That’s what everyone is thinking.”
Biden’s visit to Morehouse marked his first significant foray into a college campus since anti-Israel protests began sweeping elite educational institutions, but the anti-Israel protests at Morehouse in particular were similar to those at other schools such as Columbia University. It was generally quieter than on campus.
Anti-Israel protesters have already erupted at several commencement speeches, including comedian Jerry Seinfeld’s address at Duke University earlier this month.
Morehouse College planned to award honorary degrees to 50 of its 88 faculty members. reportedly I voted in favor of it.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre teased Biden’s speech as “an opportunity to uplift and deliver an important message to future leaders.”
“That moment is going to come. And I think we’re going to hear directly from the president about how he sees the future of this country and the future of the communities that they represent,” she added.
Biden’s speech came amid political difficulties surrounding the Israel-Hamas war, as well as sluggish turnout among young voters and black voters.
According to one poll, Mr. Biden holds a 71% to 13% lead among black voters over former President Donald Trump, compared with the 87% to 12 recorded by Mr. Biden in 2020 election exit polls. % score decreased from. NBC News April Survey.
Only 36% of voters between the ages of 18 and 34 expressed high interest in the 2024 presidential election, indicating a possible new red flag for the president.
Ahead of his speech, Biden announced about $16 billion in new funding for historically black colleges and universities.
Former President Barack Obama spoke at Morehouse College in 2013. Biden becomes the first president in 11 years to deliver the commencement address at the university’s commencement ceremony.
Biden is also scheduled to deliver his second commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on May 25.
