President Joe Biden To Speak At Howard Commencement
President Joe Biden is set to deliver the commencement address of the Class of 2023 at Howard University. Along with being the keynote speaker, Biden will also receive an honorary Doctor of Letters.
Wayne A. I. Frederick, outgoing president of the HBCU, expressed his excitement that Biden will speak at the school's 155th commencement ceremony on May 13..
“It is an honor and privilege to welcome President Biden to deliver the 2023 commencement address and celebrate the graduating Class of 2023,” Frederick said in a statement. “We are excited to receive the President as this year’s distinguished guest and recognize him for his relentless work uplifting our communities that have been historically left behind.”
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Biden has tried to foster a strong relationship with HBCUs in his first term as president. In 2022, his administration announced it had delivered more than $5 billion in funding to Black colleges, in addition to $1.3 billion in debt forgiveness for their students.
Last year, the administration also inaugurated an 18-member White House Board of Advisors for HBCUs.
In addition to Howard, Biden is also scheduled to give the commencement addresses at the U.S. Air Force Academy in El Paso County, Colorado on June 1.
Biden will be the seventh sitting U.S. president to deliver the keynote address at a Howard University commencement convocation.
The commencement will take place on May 13 on Howard University's main campus.
