A divided Morehouse College braces for Biden’s arrival

Deep divisions and apprehension on the campus of Morehouse College have presented President Joe Biden with a delicate balancing act this weekend as he prepares to deliver the commencement address at the historically Black college.

Deep divisions and apprehension on the campus of Morehouse College have presented President Joe Biden with a delicate balancing act this weekend as he prepares to deliver the commencement address at the historically Black, all-male college. There have been mixed reactions within the Morehouse community to Biden’s presence on campus as the school braces for enhanced security measures and potential pro-Palestinian protests amid the president’s stalwart support for Israel’s campaign against Hamas. The White House has been working for weeks to quell any concerns, and it hopes the address will give Biden an opportunity to better connect with young Black men, a group that has been increasingly moving away from the president, according to recent polls. “There’s just an overwhelming sense of confusion and sort of disarray,” said Colin Royal, managing editor of the Maroon Tiger student newspaper and a junior at Morehouse, when asked about the atmosphere on campus. “Some think that it’s a tremendous opportunity to possibly bring a lot of well-needed attention to Morehouse, and some think the opposite.” The president’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza has roiled college campuses across the country, leaving Biden facing a unique circumstance for a Democratic politician: avoiding the progressive college voters who are traditionally very friendly and enthusiastic about supporting the party. Instead, Biden has basically stopped visiting colleges and universities since a January speech during which he was interrupted several times by activists calling for a ceasefire. While Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have made giving commencement speeches at historically Black colleges and universities a hallmark of their spring schedules, the Morehouse address is under the microscope as a potential litmus test for the president’s strength with young voters of color in the fall. Aware of the difficult task at hand, Biden and his advisers have prepared for the speech in battleground Georgia for weeks. The president’s advisers say he’s intent on keeping the focus on the graduates even as the prospect of protests over Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza lingers over the event.