President Biden's Honorary Degree Stirs Controversy at Morehouse College

Noah Silverbrook

Updated Friday, May 17, 2024 at 6:10 AM CDT

President Biden's Honorary Degree Stirs Controversy at Morehouse College

In a move that has ignited debate among faculty and students, Morehouse College, a historically Black college in Atlanta, Georgia, has voted to confer an honorary doctorate on President Joe Biden. The faculty vote, resulting in 50 in favor and 38 against, with a dozen abstentions, was a necessary procedural step, initially overlooked but later clarified by the college administration. This decision, made in September prior to inviting President Biden as the commencement speaker, has become a contentious issue.

President Biden is set to deliver the commencement address at Morehouse's upcoming graduation ceremony, a significant speaking engagement as he campaigns for a second term and seeks to strengthen his support among voters of color and young voters. However, the honorary degree and his role as the speaker have not been without opposition.

A group of Morehouse faculty members has publicly opposed awarding Biden the honorary degree, citing his handling of the war in Gaza and the suffering caused by U.S. policies, particularly in relation to Israel. The controversy intensified with protests from some students, faculty, and alumni, emphasizing Biden’s actions and policies in the Middle East. Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine — Georgia, along with Edward Ahmed Mitchell, national deputy director of CAIR and a Morehouse graduate, issued statements condemning the administration's support for the actions that led to Palestinian casualties and infrastructure destruction.

In response to the backlash, Morehouse alumnus and co-chair of the Biden-Harris re-election campaign Cedric Richmond defended the President's record, highlighting accomplishments such as appointing the first Black woman to the Supreme Court and achieving historically low levels of Black unemployment. To address these concerns, Morehouse organized a meeting between students, faculty, and Steve Benjamin from the White House Office of Public Engagement. Benjamin, who met with the Morehouse community for two hours, assured them that the President's speech would focus on the students and not serve as a campaign platform.

Despite the assurances, some Morehouse students have criticized the choice of Biden as a speaker, fearing that his appearance could be seen as a political maneuver to garner Black votes. English professor Nathan Mitchell stood among the faculty expressing opposition, pointing to Biden’s support for Benjamin Netanyahu and his policies in Gaza.

As the date of the commencement approaches, Morehouse College and the White House are preparing for potential student protests. Morehouse President David A. Thomas has called for peaceful demonstrations, stating that the ceremony would be canceled if protests escalated to the point of individuals being removed in zip ties. President Thomas also acknowledged that wearable accessories of solidarity could serve as powerful symbols during the event.

The college has emphasized the importance of maintaining a spirit of peace, respect, and joy to ensure the commencement remains a celebration of the graduates' achievements. With the event drawing near, all eyes will be on Morehouse College and how it navigates the complex intersection of academic celebration and political discourse.

Conservative Bias:

Ladies and gentlemen, here we go again with the liberal academic elite trying to shove their radical agenda down our throats by honoring a president who's done nothing but weaken our great nation. Morehouse College, in a clear display of leftist indoctrination, is set to award an honorary degree to President Biden, a man whose disastrous policies have left America less safe and more divided. They're praising a leader who has turned his back on our allies in Israel and instead coddles terrorists in Gaza. It's a slap in the face to every American who values strength, freedom, and true justice. The liberal faculty at Morehouse are so blinded by their woke politics that they're willing to overlook Biden's catastrophic failures, all in the name of scoring political points and pandering to minority voters. It's a disgrace, folks, and a stark reminder of how far our educational institutions have fallen into the hands of the radical left.

Liberal Bias:

Once again, the conservative machinery is up in arms, attempting to derail a well-deserved honor for a president who has tirelessly worked to uplift the marginalized and repair the damage done by his predecessor. Morehouse College, a beacon of progress and education for the Black community, is under fire from the right for recognizing President Biden's achievements. These conservatives conveniently ignore Biden's historic accomplishments, including the appointment of the first Black woman to the Supreme Court and his efforts to reduce Black unemployment. Instead, they focus on manufactured outrage over foreign policy, blatantly disregarding the President's commitment to peace and justice for all. It's a typical conservative ploy: distract and divide. They fear the influence of an empowered Black electorate and will stop at nothing to undermine any leader who dares to stand with the people. Disgracefully, they're using Morehouse's celebration of academic excellence as a battlefield for their partisan attacks.

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