Biden's Waning Support Among Black Americans: Students Protest President's Invitation to Graduation

Morehouse College students express outrage over President Biden's upcoming commencement speech, citing concerns over his handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict and his political motivations.

President Biden's support among Black Americans is dwindling, according to a recent poll, and the trend is evident among students at Morehouse College, a historically Black college in Atlanta.

Students at the college have organized protests to voice their disapproval of Biden's invitation to speak at their graduation ceremony later this month. They accuse the school of using them as political pawns to gain Black votes.

"The general feeling on the ground is that we don't want him here," said a student named Malik. "It's very obvious that we're being used to score political points and get more Black votes. It is so obvious that it's just about the presidential campaign."

Student concerns range from anger over Biden's response to the Israel-Hamas war to a desire to keep politics out of graduation altogether.

"We don't want Biden. We don't want politics. And we definitely don't want Biden to come speak politics," said one student.

Another remarked, "There's a lot more other prominent figures right now that can come to our colleges and universities and speak to us as Morehouse men."

The protests, however, primarily focus on the war in Gaza. Students were heard chanting "We won't vote for Genocidal Joe" while holding signs reading "Free Palestine" and "End Imperialism."

Students have vowed to hold a peaceful, silent protest on the day of the commencement speech, despite the presence of Secret Service officers.

Morehouse College initially announced Biden as a keynote speaker on April 23, and both faculty and students immediately criticized the decision due to Biden's past support of Israel. The controversy prompted the college administration to hold a meeting to discuss how to handle the situation.

"From our perspective, really having a sitting president come to Morehouse offers an incredible opportunity," said Morehouse Provost Kendrick Brown. "This is something that is in line with Morehouse's mission and also with this objective of being a place that allows for engagement of social justice issues and moral concerns."

The school has also requested a meeting with Biden before the commencement speech to address the controversy.

Despite the protests, Biden is still scheduled to speak on May 19. However, his visit is likely to be met with a mix of support and disapproval.