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May 19, 2024politicalGaza warracial justicecampus protestsHBCUspolitical

Biden delivers Morehouse commencement amid student protests calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza

President Biden delivers the commencement address at Morehouse College in Atlanta, a historically Black men's college, as pro-Palestinian protests continue to roil campuses. During the speech, Morehouse valedictorian DeAngelo Fletcher calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza as Biden looks on. Some graduates silently protest by turning their chairs away from the president or holding Palestinian flags. Biden calls for an "immediate ceasefire" in Gaza for the first time in this context, though he clarifies it is conditional on hostage release. He touts his administration's record on racial justice and Supreme Court appointments, and teases Harris's political future by saying "a Morehouse man will be president one day, just after an AKA from Howard."