Joe Biden’s Morehouse College Appearance Splits Opinion

President Joe Biden’s appearance at Morehouse College, where he received an honorary degree and delivered a commencement speech on May 19, has divided opinion on social media.

The announcement that Biden would give the commencement address at the historically Black college in Atlanta had drawn backlash, as college campuses nationwide have been roiled by anti-war protests amid Biden’s ongoing support for Israel during the war in Gaza, which began after Hamas’ October 7 attack on southern Israel.

Now, political commentators are split in their assessment of Biden’s address. Some, such as former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance, have called it a “powerhouse speech,” while others, including activist Cornel West, have described the event as “propaganda.”

In his speech, Biden acknowledged students’ anger over the war, as some silently protested his support for Israel, and said he shared their concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

“I support peaceful nonviolent protest. Your voices should be heard, and I promise you I hear them,” he told students at the all-male college. “It’s a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. That’s why I’ve called for an immediate ceasefire—an immediate ceasefire to stop the fighting and bring the hostages home.”

Since October, Israeli military operations have killed more than 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children, the Associated Press reported, citing Gaza health officials. Israel’s offensive in Gaza began after Hamas’ attack on Israel late last year, which killed about 1,200 people. Hamas also took some 250 people hostage, about half of whom were freed during a ceasefire in November.

Biden said in his speech that he was working to “bring the region together” and “build a lasting, durable peace.”

“I’m working to make sure we finally get a two-state solution, the only solution for two people to live in peace, security and dignity,” he said.

Biden also spoke about democracy and touted what his administration had delivered for Black Americans. Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment via email.

The president received a standing ovation from college administrators and alumni in the audience when he was introduced, but most of the graduating class remained seated. At least seven graduates and one faculty member sat with their backs turned during Biden’s address, while another draped himself in a Palestinian flag, the Associated Press reported.

Anthony Coley, an alumnus of Morehouse who led the Justice Department’s Office of Public Affairs from 2021 to 2023, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that Biden “met the moment” with “authentic remarks.”

“He kept the focus on the grads, while weaving in his personal narrative and how his Administration is improving people’s lives,” he added.

Coley said that on Gaza, Biden “spelled out his vision clearly—one that aligns with what young people want, even if they haven’t necessarily heard it directly from him before.”

Vance, a former U.S. attorney in Alabama who was nominated by President Barack Obama, wrote on X that Biden delivered a “powerhouse speech.”

She also said Morehouse showed that “it’s possible to respect the president while peacefully protesting policies you disagree with.”

Samuel Livingston, an associate professor at Morehouse, said on MSNBC that Biden’s address was “basically a campaign speech.”

“What we’ve tried to do, in terms of the faculty and our students, was to express our displeasure with having a person who has been fueling a genocidal machine, basically since he’s been elected,” he said.

West, a progressive activist, wrote on X that it was “sad to see the great Morehouse College embrace the war criminal and genocide enabler Joe Biden as an exemplar of peace and justice!”

He added that Martin Luther King Jr., a Morehouse graduate, was “turning over in his grave because of this flagrant violation of his precious legacy!”