Biden to speak at Morehouse commencement, risking backlash as campus protests over Gaza grow
WASHINGTON ― President Joe Biden will deliver two college commencement addresses next month as protests over Israel's war in Gaza have erupted on college campuses across the country.
Biden will speak at the May 19 graduation of Morehouse College in Atlanta and the May 25 graduation of the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, the White House said Tuesday.
The Morehouse commencement will take Biden to a Historically Black college in the crucial battleground state of Georgia as he looks to secure backing from young Black voters − a key Democratic constituency − for the 2024 election.
But NBC News reported that Biden's presence has raised concerns among some Morehouse faculty members. Biden's public appearances regularly draws heckling from pro-Palestinian protesters, particularly young people, who oppose the president's support for Israel's war against Hamas.
One Morehouse facility member, who was not identified by NBC, told the television network that Morehouse administrators are concerned some faculty members will join students in protest during the graduation ceremony.
“This week, I received an inquiry from concerned faculty about rumors they were hearing about President Biden’s selection as the 2024 Commencement speaker,” Kendrick Brown, Morehouse College’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, wrote in an email that NBC reported was sent Friday to faculty members.
More: Biden, facing backlash over war in Gaza, is losing support from some young Black voters
Morehouse administrators have organized a virtual meeting for Thursday to hear feedback about the commencement selection process, according to NBC.
Morehouse did not respond to requests from USA TODAY for comment.
But in a letter to students, faculty and staff announcing Biden's upcoming visit, the college's president, David A. Thomas, said Morehouse remains committed to using its platform "to raise our community's concerns and hold thoughtful, intelligent, and solutions-oriented conversations."
"This moment transcends Morehouse," Thomas wrote. "It coincides with a critical juncture in our nation's history as we navigate an election year marked by contention and divisiveness. As an institution and a community, we bear a profound responsibility and obligation to be the beacon of hope and progress in these challenging times. We must take intentional, strategic action that serves the present moment and the collective future of our country and the world. "
Polling has shown Biden's unwavering support for Israel has drawn resistance among many young Black voters, who want the White House do more to end the Israel-Hamas war and minimize the death of Palestinian civilians.
"The president is proud that he was invited by Morehouse. He's eager to speak there," Andrew Bates, deputy White House press secretary, told reporters, adding that commencements are about the graduates, their families and loved ones, and celebrating the graduates' accomplishments.
"I'm not going to weigh in on processes happening at Morehouse, but he looks forward to going there and celebrating there with the graduates," Bates said.
Protests over the past week at Columbia University in New York have raised concerns about the school's Jewish students being targets of antisemitic harassment and intimidation.
Biden on Monday said he condemns "antisemetic protests" and also condemns "those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians."
Biden last year gave commencement addresses to graduating classes of Howard University, also an HBCU, and the U.S. Air Force Academy. As president, he has also delivered commencement addresses at the U.S. Naval Academy; the University of Delaware; South Carolina State University, an HBCU; and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
Contributing: Michael Collins
Reach Joey Garrison on X, formerly Twitter, @joeygarrison.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: President Biden to speak at Morehouse, West Point commencements
