President Biden to campaign in Atlanta ahead of Morehouse commencement
President Joe Biden delivers remarks in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House on February 8, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
ATLANTA - President Joe Biden is coming to campaign in Atlanta a day before he's scheduled to deliver the commencement address at Morehouse College.
The White House released details about the president's visit overnight that revealed he'll be arriving in Atlanta on Saturday.
According to officials, Biden will take part in a campaign reception that afternoon. Details about that reception have not been released.
The next day, Biden will speak at the alma mater of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., then leave for another campaign event in Detroit, Michigan that evening.
Controversy over Biden's Morehouse visit.
Morehouse students call for Biden not to visit
Dozens of college students gathered at Morehouse College Wednesday afternoon to protest the invitation to President Biden to give the commencement speech later this month. Protesters say they're opposed his visit because of his support for Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
Morehouse's decision to invite the president amid multiple pro-Palestine protests on campus around the country has drawn some backlash among the school's students and faculty.
Last week, around 50 people gathered at Morehouse to protest Biden's invitation, citing his support for Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Before the school and the White House formally announced commencement plans, Morehouse Provost Kendrick Brown, Thomas’ top lieutenant, emailed all faculty acknowledging concerns about "rumors" and affirming that the school invited Biden last September. That would have been before Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, spurring the sustained counter-offensive. Brown’s email did not reference anything about the Middle East conflict.
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Asked about the concerns from some faculty members, White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said Biden is eager to speak at the school and added: "commencements are about the graduates, their families and their loved ones; about celebrating the accomplishments of the graduates."
"I’m not going to weigh in on processes happening at Morehouse, but he looks forward to going there and celebrating with the graduates," Bates said.
A petition on Change.org calling for the cancelation of the speech has garnered over 700 signatures so far.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.