Morehouse invited Biden to speak – and the reaction followed

ATLANTA (AP) — President Joe Biden will likely be the commencement speaker at Morehouse College in Georgia, shining a key highlight on Democrats on one in every of the nation’s most significant historically black campuses but potentially exposing him to uncomfortable protests as he seeks re-election against former President Donald Trump.

The White House confirmed Tuesday that Biden will deliver a speech on May 19 at the alma mater of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. and then address the graduating class of the United States Military Academy at West Point on May 25.

Morehouse’s statement sparked a backlash amongst faculty and supporters of the school who’re critical of Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war. That could put the White House and Biden’s re-election campaign in a difficult position as the president works to shore up the racially diverse coalition that catapulted him to the Oval Office.

On Tuesday afternoon, some Morehouse alumni circulated a letter online denouncing the administration’s invitation to Biden and in search of signatures to pressure Morehouse President David Thomas to rescind it.

The letter, obtained by The Associated Press, said Biden’s approach to Israel effectively supports the Gaza genocide and runs counter to the pacifism King expressed in his opposition to the Vietnam War.

“By inviting President Biden to campus, the university affirms the cruel standard that complicity in genocide does not merit sanction from an institution that produced one of the foremost advocates of nonviolence in the 20th century,” the letter reads, emphasizing King’s position that ​​”war is hell that diminishes” humanity as an entire. “If the College cannot affirm this noble tradition of justice by withdrawing its invitation to President Biden, it should reconsider its commitment to Dr. King.”

Late last week, before the school and the White House formally announced commencement plans, Morehouse Chancellor Kendrick Brown, Thomas’ top lieutenant, sent an email to all faculty expressing concerns about the “rumors” and confirming that the school had prolonged an invite to Biden in September last yr. . That was before Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, spurring a sustained counteroffensive that Morehouse, in an alumni letter, called an act of genocide against the Palestinians. Brown’s email made no mention of the conflict in the Middle East.

Brown invited faculty to an internet forum scheduled for Thursday afternoon to discuss the issue. However, he added: “As we enter into this conversation, please know that the College has no plans to withdraw its accepted invitation to President Biden.”

Morehouse officials didn’t respond to an Associated Press inquiry.

Asked about concerns amongst some faculty members, White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said Biden was eager to speak at the school and added: “We start with the graduates, their families and loved ones; about celebrating the achievements of graduates.”

“I’m not going to judge the processes that go on at Morehouse, but he’s looking forward to going there and celebrating with the graduates,” Bates said.

Featured Stories

Earlier on Tuesday, Thomas issued an announcement to BET.com that, like the chancellor’s letter, emphasized the September deadline for Biden’s invitation.

Thomas said Morehouse officials “look forward to” the president’s visit, which he called “a reminder of our institution’s enduring legacy and impact, as well as our ongoing commitment to excellence, progress and positive change.”

Reverend Stephen Green, pastor of St. Luke AME in Harlem and the writer of the alumni letter, said in an interview that his group has contacted several Morehouse board members and hopes to speak with Thomas. Green, who graduated in 2014, called the efforts a part of a “common thread of protest and activism in the Morehouse tradition” of social and political involvement.

“We hope this sends a clear signal that we are serious about the values ​​that have been taught,” Green said, adding that he wants Biden to stand firmly for a Palestinian state and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza.

Beyond any dissatisfaction with Israel, polls suggest Biden could have a tough time with black Americans generally. According to an AP-NORC poll conducted in March, greater than half of African American adults approved of the way he was handling his job as president, but that number was down significantly from when he took office, with 94% approving of his job performance.

Biden more and more often were met with protests this yr from progressives who say he is simply too supportive of Israel. The case proved vexing for the president. He has long joined the American foreign policy establishment in recognizing Israel as an irreplaceable ally in the Middle East. Nevertheless, he also criticized the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu Down increasing variety of civilian deaths in Gaza and told him so future US aid relies on Israel taking steps to protect civilians.

That approach has left Biden with vocal critics on the left and right at a time when he has little margin for error in battleground states, including Georgia, which are expected to determine his rematch with Trump.

Biden’s speech at Morehouse will likely be the second straight spring that the president has addressed the graduating class of the historically black school. In 2023 he delivered starting address at Howard University. The Washington school is the vice chairman’s alma mater Kamala Harris, the first black woman to hold this position. Morehouse, a non-public all-male school that is an element of the multi-campus Atlanta University Center, can also be the senator’s alma mater. Rafał Warnockfirst black U.S. senator in Georgia.

Warnock, who can also be senior pastor of King’s Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, avoided any consternation on campus.

“I couldn’t be more delighted and honored to see President Biden return to our great country,” the senator said in an announcement. “I know the president will have a timely, powerful and forward-looking message for the people of Morehouse.”

The controversy could overshadow policy priorities that Biden and Democrats have emphasized for months on HBCU campuses across the country. Members of Harris and the cabinet spoke on several campuses. Among other achievements and policy priorities, the White House touts increased federal financial support for HBCUs; Biden is in search of to forgive up to $10,000 student loan burden per borrower and increase the Pell Grant for low-income students; energy investments to combat the climate crisis and Democratic support for abortion rights and decriminalization of marijuana possession.

In his reaction to Biden’s invitation, Warnock emphasized his work with the president “to address the high cost of higher education.”

Reflecting the nation’s overall racial disparities in income and net value, Black students are disproportionately depending on Pell Grants, which generally cover only a fraction of faculty costs, and student loans. According to Federal Reserve data, about 1 in 3 black households have student loan debt, compared with about 1 in 5 white households. The average black borrower also owes about $10,000 more in debt than the average white borrower. Additionally, federal statistics show that about 60% of black students receive Pell grants compared to about 40% of the overall undergraduate population and one-third of white students.

In 2020, Biden won Georgia by lower than 12,000 votes over Trump out of about 5 million votes solid. The total student population at Morehouse and the adjoining schools that make up Atlanta University Center is roughly 9,000 students. Biden’s lead in Wisconsin was slightly below 21,000 votes. The president had more comfortable margins in Michigan and Pennsylvania, but he couldn’t afford to lose black support in the Detroit and Philadelphia metropolitan areas.

Among the states Trump won, Biden is targeting North Carolina, which has a big black student population. Trump’s lead there was about 75,000 votes.