Morehouse students criticize Biden as commencement speaker: ‘A political pawn to get Black votes’

Students react to school's invitation to president to speak while authorities crack down on campus protests across US

Morehouse College, a nearly 160-year-old historically Black college in Atlanta, announced on Tuesday that Joe Biden will be the keynote speaker for its commencement ceremony in May. Though Morehouse initially extended the invitation in September, Biden's acceptance comes after a tumultuous week for the president, in which college students across the nation have engaged in sustained anti-war protests in solidarity with Palestine.

The Guardian spoke to Morehouse students who criticized the school's decision to host Biden, and others who had mixed feelings about the upcoming address.