Joe Biden to address Howard University graduates this month

President Joe Biden is set to deliver the commencement speech at Howard University, a historically Black university located in Washington, later this month. The commencement ceremony is scheduled for May 13th.

The White House has confirmed that in addition to the Howard University commencement, President Biden will also give the keynote address at the United States Air Force Academy's commencement in El Paso County, Colorado, on June 1st. This announcement was made last month when President Biden presented the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy to the Air Force's football team.

Howard University, which is Vice President Kamala Harris' alma mater, has received significant attention from the Biden administration since they took office in 2021. Vice President Harris recently delivered a passionate speech on abortion rights during a rally held on the Howard campus, among other events.

In January, Howard University made history by becoming the first historically Black college or university (HBCU) to partner with the Department of Defense for a university-affiliated research centre. The Department of Defense will provide $12 million per year for five years to support research, faculty, and students at Howard University. This centre is funded by the Department of Defense and the US Air Force.

President Biden's speech at Howard University will take place less than a month after he announced his bid for re-election in 2024. The upcoming campaign is expected to focus heavily on mobilizing Black voters and young voters to participate in the electoral process.

Securing funding for HBCUs has been a prominent part of President Biden's domestic agenda. He proposed nearly $45 billion in funding to improve infrastructure and modernize HBCUs and has already delivered around $6 billion in investments through the Department of Education. HBCUs remain a priority for the Biden administration, as evidenced by the president's previous engagements at South Carolina State University and his virtual address to HBCU students in June 2021.

The White House also announced that other administration officials will be giving commencement speeches at HBCUs across the country. This includes Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia L. Fudge, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young, among others.

The last time a sitting president spoke at Howard University's commencement was in 2016 when President Barack Obama addressed the graduates.