Family members of the plaintiffs in the story Brown v. School Board met with President Biden to mark the 70th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision.
Susan Walsh/AP
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Susan Walsh/AP
Family members of the plaintiffs in the story Brown v. School Board met with President Biden to mark the 70th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision.
Susan Walsh/AP
President Biden is engaged this week in a series of events centered on the 70th anniversary of the Brown v. School Board Supreme Court case that ended racial segregation in public schools, part of an intensifying campaign to court black voters critical to his re-election bid.
On Sunday, he will deliver a closely watched commencement speech at Morehouse College, a historically black college in Georgia.
But first, he held a private meeting at the White House on Thursday with the plaintiffs and their family members in the historic case.
“The president was proud to participate in this meeting and honor the legacy of those who paved the way for progress,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.
On Friday, Biden will deliver remarks at an NAACP event marking Brown anniversary at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This weekend, he will travel to the swing state of Michigan, where he will speak at an NAACP dinner in Detroit.
Biden’s other engagements include a meeting with the Divine Nine, a group of historically black sororities and fraternities, and interviews with black media.
Polls show lack of enthusiasm among black voters
Black voters have long been the backbone of the Democratic Party and helped ensure Biden’s victory in 2020. But if turnout is lower this year compared to four years ago, that could hurt Biden’s chances. re-election of Biden.
A recent investigation by Washington Post and Ipsos showed that fewer blacks, just 62% of black voters said they were absolutely certain to vote for it, compared to 74% this time in 2020.
The poll also showed that only 38% of Black Americans believe Biden’s policies have helped Black people, something Biden attempted to further explain in his media appearances this week.
Speaking by phone to Atlanta radio show host Darian “Big Tigger” Morgan for his morning show this week, Biden listed what he says he has done for Black Americans, including reduction in the unemployment rate and the cancellation of certain student debts. He also attacked his opponent.
“Trump hurt black people every chance he got,” Biden said.
The week’s events will culminate with the President’s keynote address at Morehouse.
On Sunday, Biden will close out his week by delivering the commencement address at Morehouse College.
His visit there has already been rebuffed by students, who have criticized Biden in his handling of Israel’s war in Gaza. University President David Thomas told NPR that he would shut down commencement ceremonies altogether if the protests became too disruptive.
“Faced with the choice of having police remove people from the Morehouse commencement with zip ties, we would essentially cancel or discontinue on-site commencement services,” Thomas said.
Steve Benjamin, who directs the White House Office of Public Engagement, visited campus to meet with students and faculty earlier this week.
“The commonality was they wanted to make sure we centered young people and the president did that on Sunday,” Benjamin said. “The goal will be to make sure we take this opportunity to continue to highlight the incredible work that has been done at Morehouse.”
He highlighted the investments the Biden administration has made in HBCUs. Since taking office, the Biden administration has funded $16 billion to support HBCUs.
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