President Joe Biden is set to receive an honorary doctorate from Morehouse College amid controversy over him delivering the commencement address at the school’s upcoming graduation ceremony.
According to NBC News, Morehouse faculty voted 50-38 in favor of awarding Biden an honorary degree, but roughly a dozen members abstained from the vote due to frustrations over the president’s stance on the war in Gaza and him speaking at the school’s commencement.
Morehouse officials announced last month that Biden would receive the honorary doctorate following a decision initially made in September. However, school administrators admitted to overlooking a step in the process where faculty must vote to authorize the decision.
“It is imperative to clarify that the recent decision to convene to vote to award Biden an honorary degree is not in question because of current political affairs. The decision to call for a faculty vote is due to a mistaken oversight in the process, which traditionally includes a faculty vote that usually takes place in September,” Morehouse said in a statement.
The vote, which is usually a formality, became an opportunity for faculty members to voice their concerns about Biden receiving the honor and serving as the commencement speaker.
A group of faculty members released a letter before the vote, expressing opposition to the decision.
“We recognize the honor that typically comes with having the most powerful elected person in the world speak at Morehouse. At this time, however, salient policies of the United States government are responsible for the suffering of millions of people around the planet,” the letter read.
A meeting was also held last week between a group of Morehouse students and faculty members and Steve Benjamin, head of the White House Office of Public Engagement to address concerns.
Students and staff urged Benjamin to ensure that the president’s commencement address didn’t turn into a campaign speech. A White House source said Biden plans to “focus on the students” while also “address[ing] their concerns” during the speech, per NBC News.
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